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Kidz Eye View of Ice Pups in Canada
“On the Iles de la Madeleine, a chance to see baby seals”
by Janis Hashe
We've all seen the pictures: the adorable dark eyes staring out appealingly from the mass of white fur. But did you know that it's possible — for a brief, three-week window each March — to visit the baby harp seals on their icy birthing ground?
Since commercial sealing was banned a decade ago, the islanders of the Iles de la Madeleine in the Gulf of St. Lawrence off Québec have turned to eco-tourism to help support their life on the dozen lovely, isolated islands that make up the archipelago. One hotel in particular, the Chateau Madelinot, offers seal-watching trips each year, an experience like no other.
Families looking for luxury packages with kids' clubs: Read no further. But if you're an adventuresome bunch, you'll not only have the chance to see the pups and their mothers, but, depending on your interests, go dogsledding, cross-country skiing, or any number of activities the hotel can arrange.
To get to the islands, you'll fly into Montréal. I recommend planning a stay of two or three days in this lovely city pre- or post-islands in order to explore kid-fab sites such as the Biodome, the Canadian Railway Museum, and the Poupées et Merveilles (Dolls and Treasures). Stay at the restored Chateau Versailles, (very child-friendly), where breakfast is included. While there, be sure to try the fresh, tasty cuisine at La Maitresse, the hotel's restaurant.
You'll take a 20-person "puddlejumper" plane to the Iles de la Madeleine, making a few stops along the way. The Chateau Madelinot can arrange to pick you and all your gear up.
For 2001, four-day packages are available that either include breakfast only (per person, triple occupancy: $894 Canadian), or all meals (per person, triple occupancy: $1,114 Canadian). These packages also include a helicopter tour out to the seals, a professional guide once on the ice, a visit to the Seal Interpretation Centre, cross-country skiing, and other activities.
Optional activities include a second helicopter excursion to the ice, dogsledding (highly recommended — but be aware that "safety gear" per se is not available. Suitable for older kids only: sea kayaking.
Once out on the ice floes, bundled in your orange survival suits, you'll be awed by the immensity of the terrain, and utterly charmed by the pups, called "whitecoats" at this stage of their lives, who stay with their mothers only 21 days after birth before having to fend for themselves.
This is truly a once in a lifetime experience — and for the right family, the stuff of unforgettable memories.
Resources
- Tourisme Québec: 877-266-5687, www.bonjourquebec.com
- Tourisme Montréal: 514-844-5400, www.tourism-montreal.org
- Iles de la Madeleine Tourism Association: 418-986-4841, www.ilesdelamadeleine.com
- Chateau Versailles: 800-361-3664
- Chateau Madelinot: 418-986-2211, www.ilesdelamadeleine.com/hotels/chateau2.htm
- The Lobster Kids' Guide to Exploring Montréal, Lobster Press Limited, 2000, $15.95. www.lobsterpress.com
— Janis Hashe
Janis Hashe is a freelance writer specializing in travel and the performing arts. Recent adventures have included biking in France, rappelling in Utah, and getting stuck in the ice for 24 hours off Quebec.
NOTE: The prices listed above were accurate as of posting; we suggest you call for current rates before your trip.