Seasickness on the St. Lawrence
On the map the St. Lawrence off Tadoussac is a river, but out on the water it behaves more like an arm of the sea. Many trips go out on calm water, yet wind blowing against the tide can raise a short, choppy swell. This guide explains when it gets rough and which boat moves less. It ends with habits that help travelers who feel queasy.
How rough the estuary gets
By the time it reaches the mouth of the Saguenay, the St. Lawrence has opened into a wide estuary of salt water. Tides push that water up and down the river, and the Saguenay pours its own current into it. On a still morning the surface can look like a lake. When a strong wind blows against the tidal current, the water stacks up into short, steep waves, and near the Saguenay mouth, where the currents meet, a boat can roll in a swell even on a sunny day.
Fog brings the opposite problem. Foggy days are often calm, so your stomach may be fine, but the fog hides the whales. Boats still sail in fog and rain, and they cancel only for safety. AML's whale guarantee offers another boat tour when a trip sees nothing, but reviewers report that a foggy trip with a single minke far off did not qualify. The best months for whales covers fog and wind by season.
Which boat moves less
If you know boats make you sick, pick the 3-hour big boat, from ~$130. A larger hull rides through chop that would toss a small craft, and you have options when your stomach turns. You can step out on deck for fresh air or sit in the glazed indoor rooms, and the restrooms are never far away. The bistro sells snacks if a few crackers help you.
The Zodiac, from ~$130, is a different ride. It bounces over every wave, and on a windy day the spray comes with it. You sit low near the water, though, and you can fix your eyes on the shore, which some people find easier than the slow roll of a big boat. The catch for a queasy passenger is the lack of a restroom for 2 or 2.5 hours, and on some Zodiacs the seats face inward, so you look across the boat rather than out at the horizon. Zodiac or big boat? compares the two on everything else.
The steadier way out
AML's 3-hour boat has restrooms and indoor rooms with big windows, plus open decks for fresh air, from ~$130. It leaves from Baie-Sainte-Catherine or Tadoussac, with free cancellation until 24 hours before.
When the crew moves you to the big boat
On windy days, the crew sometimes advises Zodiac passengers to switch to the big boat instead. It can feel like a letdown if you booked the Zodiac for the ride. If you are prone to seasickness, take the offer without a second thought. The crew knows these waters, and a Zodiac in a stiff wind is a long, wet ride with nowhere to go. The switch keeps you on the same stretch of water with a bilingual naturalist on the microphone, only higher above the waves and with a restroom a few steps away.
Habits that help on board
Nothing here prevents seasickness for everyone, but these are the habits experienced passengers swear by.
- Eat a light breakfast. Many travelers find toast or a little cereal sits better than an empty stomach or a big plate of eggs and bacon;
- Sit low and in the middle. On the big boat, that means the lower deck toward the middle of the hull. On a Zodiac, ask for a seat away from the bow;
- Watch the horizon. A distant shoreline gives your eyes something steady to hold on to;
- Stay in fresh air. Warm, closed rooms bother some people, so step out on deck as soon as you feel off;
- Put the phone away. Reading or scrolling on a moving boat is a fast way to feel worse. Take photos in short bursts and look up between them;
- Try ginger. Some travelers bring ginger candy or ginger tea. Treat it as a comfort from home, not a cure;
- Ask about tablets early. Motion sickness medicines exist in several forms. Ask a pharmacist or your doctor which one suits you, a few days before the trip rather than on the wharf.
Being cold and wet makes any queasy hour longer, so dress for the river; what to wear on the river lists the layers.
The bus ride counts too
On the full-day trip from Quebec City, from ~$183, the boat is not the only motion. The coach spends about 3 hours each way crossing Charlevoix, where the road winds up and down over the hills. Travelers who get carsick should board early and ask for a seat near the front, where the sway is smaller and the road ahead is in view. The stop on the way gives you a few minutes of fresh air, and the one-hour lunch at Baie-Sainte-Catherine comes before the cruise, so keep that meal light. If you plan to drive instead, bus tour or drive yourself? compares the two.
Flat water, but no whales
If any boat ride is out of the question, two options remain. AML's Quebec City river cruise, from ~$46, spends 1.5 hours on much calmer water below the old town. Its catch is total. The river at Quebec City is far upstream of the salt water, so you will see the skyline and no whales at all.
The other option keeps your feet on land. At the Pointe-Noire lookout in Baie-Sainte-Catherine, run by Parks Canada, visitors often watch belugas and seals at the mouth of the Saguenay without leaving the rocks. Seeing whales from shore lists the best spots, and the St. Lawrence belugas explains why those white backs stay in this one stretch of river.