Dreamscapes Travel & Lifestyle Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dreamscapes.ca/i/510262
SPRING/SUMMER 2015 DREAMSCAPES 15 MARINE LIFE On the Atlantic coast, New Brunswick's shores offer many whale-watching outfit- ters, including two on Grand Manan Island: Whales-n-Sails Adventures and Sea Watch Tours. Also renowned for birding, this island is where famous American ornitho- logical artist John James Audubon visited in 1831 to sketch birds such as ospreys and Atlantic puffins. Nova Scotia's eastern shore is protected by a rocky archipelago, perfect for kayaking for a day or more with Coastal Adventures outfitters. Paddle and look for curious seals and search for bald eagles' and ospreys' nests, while guides explain marine biology. The confluence of Québec's Saguenay Fjord and St. Lawrence River at Tadoussac is part of the Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park. Brackish waters provide a rich feeding ground for beluga, humpback, sperm, fin, blue and minke whales. Many whale-watching outfitters schedule trips here, but first, learn about marine life at Tadoussac's Marine Mammal Interpreta- tion Centre. And, visit Parks Canada's Pointe-Noire Interpretation and Observa- tion Centre to talk to naturalists and watch for whales from the observation deck. MANITOBA'S BIG FIVE SAFARI Manitoba's Frontiers North hosts numerous exciting experiences based in Churchill, located on Hudson Bay, home to polar bears and belugas. However, their Big Five Safari package offers an unusual, exciting pairing. First, you visit the rare fescue grassland and forest habitat of Riding Mountain National Park (RMNP) west of Winnipeg, then fly north to Churchill. While the park is home to black bear, bison and moose, the Arctic tundra and Hudson Bay are beluga and polar bear ter- ritory. Bonuses abound in both habitats. In RMNP find deer, red foxes and elk; in Churchill, there are Arctic fox, ptarmigan and others. Frontiers North operates Tundra Buggies out of Churchill, so you travel in safety and comfort while seeking polar bears. Incidentally, RMNP is now promoted as one of the best and most diverse watchable wildlife areas in North America. It's almost guaranteed wildlife can be viewed very accessibly in this 3,000-square-kilometre park that's home to black bear, moose, elk, bison, wolves and more. The park has a bison enclosure where visitors can join park staff who interpret bison signs (rub- bing areas, tracks) and explain the importance of these creatures to First Nations peoples. BACKCOUNTRY EXPEDITIONS Want to immerse yourself in wilderness? Wayne Sawchuk of Muskwa-Kechika Adventures in British Columbia leads multi-day horseback expeditions, on which TOP: Spot moose in Muskwa-Kechika, the largest remaining wilderness in the Rocky Mountains. Wayne Sawchuk BOTTOM: Torngat Mountains National Park features 9,700 square kilometres of spectacular wilderness. Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism