The mouth of the Saguenay River is one of the world's best places to watch whales, including the Blue Whale - the world's largest mammal

Saguenay, Quebec - Just a 2 1/2 hour drive north of Quebec City, the warm waters of the 96 km (60-mile) Saguenay Fjord merge with the cold water of the St. Lawrence River, creating a krill-rich feeding ground that draws marine mammals and birds. It's one of the best, easily-assessable whale-watching areas in the world. Base yourself in the French-Canadian village of Tadoussac and head out in a tour boat, zodiac or kayak, or simply watch from shore. Good spots are the park viewing platform at Pointe-Noire, and giant granite boulders on the shore at Cap-de-BonDessire 22 km (14 miles) north. 13 different species of whales that frequent this area. The gentle giants range from the small, chubby, perpetually-smiling all-white ‘threatened’ Beluga, who stays year round and number around 500, to the world’s largest mammal – the nearly 30-metre (100 ft) ‘endangered’ blue whale, which has a heart the size of a volkswagen. About 300 Blue Whales are estimated to be in this region of the Atlantic.

Where: Tadoussac is at the mouth of the Saguenay River, a 3 hour drive northeast of Quebec City.

In the News: August is traditionally the best time of the year for Blue Whale sightings. On August 20th one Whale News collaborator reported 10 Blue Whales off the Gaspé coast. Watch for the lastest info at whales-online.net. See 'See the Whales' for where they are this week.

Canada’s Coolest:

Welcome to a new feature on Canada Cool. I'll be presenting different 'Coolest' lists with my favorites and I encourage you to nominate suggestions from your own experiences. You can Twitter @CanadaCool or email Lucy@CanadaCool.com. Let me know what makes your suggestion exceptionally cool. Remember, by contributing your comments you are giving Canada Cool permission to quote you. Only a selection of submissions will be included, but all comments and submissions are greatly appreciated!

The first feature is: Canada's Coolest Single Day Scenic Drives

Here are some of my favorites...

The Icefields Parkway, Jasper National Park, Alberta - This 229 km (142 mi) Rocky Mountain route from Banff/Lake Louise to Jasper passes 100 frozen rivers and nudges the base of the Athabasca Glacier - the most accessible glacier in the world. You can stop and explore it. It spills down from the Columbia Icefield, an area of ice so massive that you could fit the entire population of North America on it with each person getting at least a square metre of space.

The Corridor, Algonquin Park, Ontario – this 56-km stretch of Hwy 60 cuts through the southwest section of Algonquin Park. Less than three hours north of Toronto the park is a nature-lover's paradise with 7,725 km of lakes, rivers, forest, trails, camping, comfortable lodges and 2000 km of canoe routes. Offers hiking trails to stop and enjoy, but what makes it really cool is that it’s one of the best places in North America to spot moose (especially in May and June). And, on Thursday nights in August up to 600 cars will gather to listen to wolves howl.

The Cabot Trail, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia – Driving this 303 km (187 mile) route is like riding a roller-coaster: the road snakes around hairpin turns, rises to heights over 365 metres (1200 ft), weaves around headlands revealing spectacular coastal scenery, and plunges down to sea level taking you into the heart of small fishing communities. The most dramatic scenery is between the Cape Breton Highlands National Park entrance near Cheticamp and Pleasant Bay, so go slow. And, plan some flexibility into your schedule, so you can drive it on a clear day.

And here are some of your nominations for 'Canada's Coolest Single Day Scenic Drives'...

More from Canada’s Coolest

'Canada's Coolest' topics we'll be publishing in the future:

• Golf Course Features
• Haunted Hotels
• Hotel Special Services

Send your suggestions to lucy@CanadaCool.com

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