While operating your watercraft in the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park, you may encounter marine mammals or other wild animals. Maintain your distance from wildlife at all times. When whales are present, make sure to comply with speed limits and regulatory distances. By doing so, you will be able to observe their natural behaviours and contribute to their protection.
However, in the event that a marine mammal appears at a distance from your watercraft closer than what is authorized, remember that you are the one encroaching on its habitat and not the other way around. Your presence may disturb the animal by interrupting its normal activities. In order to live, it needs to feed, rest, care for its young and breathe at the water surface. Any change in its behaviour is a sign that it is being disturbed.
At all times and regardless of the type of watercraft, it is prohibited to disturb marine mammals. Examples of disturbing actions include the following:

• Feeding or touching a marine mammal.
• Entering the water to swim or interact with marine mammals.
• Playing underwater recordings of whale songs, calls, or any similar-sounding noises.
• Splitting up a group of marine mammals or getting in between an adult and its young.
• Cornering a whale or a group of whales between a boat and the coast or encircling them between multiple boats.
• Interrupting, modifying or disturbing the normal social behaviours of swimming, breathing, diving, resting, feeding, nursing or mating.

Whales that are endangered require greater protection to help their populations recover. The beluga and the blue whale are observed regularly in the Marine Park, while the North Atlantic right whale is more of an occasional visitor.

If your watercraft is less than 400 metres* from an endangered species, you are in violation of the law. What should I do?

For a blue whale or North Atlantic right whale: Stay your course and move away.

For belugas:

Motorboat or sailboat

If you are less than 0.5 nautical miles (926 metres) from a beluga:

• Maintain a constant speed of between 5 and 10 knots
• Maintain a minimum distance of 400 metres
• Do not stop and stay your course

Kayak or paddleboard

• Continue to paddle and stay your course
• Move away until the animal(s) is/are out of sight
• If you are having trouble paddling away, head toward the coast

* 400 metres is the equivalent of 4 football fields.

Other species of whales that regularly frequent the Marine Park include the minke whale, fin whale, humpback whale and harbour porpoise.

If you are less than 200 metres away*: you are in violation of the law. What should I do?

Stay stationary until the whale dives or is more than 200 metres away, then move away.

If you are between 200 and 400 metres away:

Stay your course and proceed at the minimum speed you need to manoeuvre.

It is forbidden to stop, start or change course in a repetitive manner.

* 200 metres is the equivalent of 2 football fields.

Within the boundaries of the Marine Park, the maximum speed for any watercraft is 25 knots.

At the mouth of the Saguenay, the maximum speed is reduced to 15 knots between May 1 and October 31 every year.

In the Saguenay Fjord adjacent to Baie Sainte-Marguerite, it is strongly recommended to maintain a constant speed of between 5 and 10 knots.

If one is within a 0.5 nautical mile radius of one or more belugas, move away at a constant speed of between 5 and 10 knots and maintain a minimum distance of 400 metres.

Speed conversions*:

5 knots = 9.26 km/h = 5.75 mph
10 knots = 18.52 km/h = 11.50 mph
15 knots = 27.78 km/h = 17.26 mph
25 knots = 46.30 km/h = 28.77 mph

* Speeds are measured relative to the seabed.

Baie Sainte-Marguerite sector
Baie Sainte-Marguerite is off-limits to watercraft between June 21 and September 21. Located in the heart of the Saguenay Fjord, Baie Sainte-Marguerite is a calving area for the St. Lawrence beluga. Your presence may divert their attention and reduce the time they spend caring for their young, feeding and resting. These waters are protected to ensure the animals are not disturbed.

Restricted area
From June 21 to September 21, watercraft are prohibited from entering Baie Sainte-Marguerite. Special authorization is granted to kayaks, canoes and recreational fishers, who, without stopping, must transit through the shallow parts of the bay along a corridor extending 10 metres out from shore.

Transit area
Boaters are strongly advised not to stop and to maintain speeds of between 5 and 10 knots in the transit area at the head of the bay.

Comprehensive preservation zone
Avoid anchoring or operating watercraft in the comprehensive preservation zones indicated in red. These zones are to be avoided in order to protect fragile habitats and species.