What to wear on the river
A warm July morning in Quebec City tells you nothing about the water off Tadoussac, which stays at about 35–50 °F (2–10 °C) all summer. On the boat the air often sits at 50–60 °F (10–15 °C), and the wind comes straight over the bow. This guide covers the layers that work and what AML lends you on the Zodiac, including where its gear falls short.
Why the river feels colder than the city
Quebec City's summer highs reach about 77 °F (25 °C), and the old town can feel like a beach day. The whales, though, feed about 130 miles (210 km) downstream, where the Saguenay meets the estuary. There the deep Laurentian Channel ends against a shallow sill, and cold, nutrient-rich water wells up from below. That cold water feeds the krill the whales come for, and it chills the air above it. Even in August the river stays at roughly 35–50 °F (2–10 °C).
On deck, 50–60 °F (10–15 °C) is a normal reading, and once the boat is moving the wind makes it feel several degrees lower. Add spray on a Zodiac and you are cold and wet at the same time. Reviewers who came back shivering rarely blame the weather. They blame the shorts and sneakers they put on because the morning in town felt like summer. Pack as you would for a spring hike in the mountains, even in July.
Layers from the skin out
Several thin layers beat one heavy coat, because you can peel them off on the bus or in the car and put them back on at the wharf. A set that works on either boat:
- Base layer. A thermal top in merino or a synthetic fabric. Skip cotton, which stays cold once it is damp;
- Middle layer. A fleece or a light down jacket, and a second one from late September;
- Shell. A windproof, waterproof jacket with a hood. On the big boat it is the layer you will use most;
- Legs. Long pants, which the Zodiac listing asks for, and thermal leggings under them on cool days. Jeans soak up spray and stay wet;
- Head and hands. A warm hat that covers your ears and thin gloves that let you use a phone. A buff or scarf keeps the wind off your neck;
- Feet. Closed-toe shoes are required on the Zodiacs. Waterproof hiking shoes with wool socks suit both boats;
- Eyes and skin. Sunglasses and sunscreen. The glare off the water burns on a cool day as well as a hot one.
The cold changes with the calendar. May and October call for winter gloves and a proper hat, while a calm August afternoon may let you open the shell for an hour. The best months for whales goes through the season month by month.
What AML lends on the Zodiac
On the Zodiac tour from Baie-Sainte-Catherine or Tadoussac, from ~$130, AML lends each passenger a waterproof jacket and pants to wear over their own clothes, and everyone gets a life jacket. That helps, but several reviewers found the gear not fully waterproof, and no boots come with it. On a choppy day spray finds its way into shoes and socks, and you spend 2 or 2.5 hours sitting in it. Leave a change of clothes and dry socks in the car or in your bag.
Because the lent jacket goes over everything, the fleece underneath matters more than the coat you arrive in. The Zodiac has no restroom and no indoor space, so there is no warming up halfway. Plan to stay as warm as you were at the wharf, and add a layer before you board rather than after the first wave.
Rain gear on loan
AML's Zodiac lends you a waterproof jacket and pants for 2 or 2.5 hours at water level, from ~$130. Bring your own warm layers and closed shoes, and cancel free until 24 hours before.
The big boat, warm inside and cold at the rail
The 3-hour boat tour, from ~$130, has glazed indoor rooms with restrooms and a bistro, so you can retreat when your fingers go numb. The views that matter are outside, though. A whale surfaces for a few breaths, and the people already at the rail see it. Passengers who boarded at the second wharf sometimes found no seats left inside at all, which makes your outer layers the ones that count. Dress as warmly as for the Zodiac, minus the worry about spray. Zodiac or big boat? weighs the two for other reasons.
Dressing for the day trip from Quebec City
The full-day trip from Quebec City, from ~$183, leaves the Fontaine de Tourny at 9 am and spends about 3 hours each way in an air-conditioned coach. You are dressing for two climates in one day. Wear a light top on the bus and carry the warm layers in a daypack that goes onto the boat with you. If you pick the Zodiac at booking, pack dry socks for the ride home, since the bus gets back to the city in the evening. Bus tour or drive yourself? covers the rest of that day.
Electronics and binoculars
Spray and salt are hard on electronics. On the Zodiac, keep your phone and camera in a small dry bag or a zip bag between sightings, and use a wrist strap when you take them out. Binoculars are not included on any of these trips, so bring a pair with a neck strap. They help most with belugas, which boats must watch from about 1,300 ft (400 m) away, as our guide to the St. Lawrence belugas explains. Payment on board is by credit card only, so the wallet can stay in a zipped inside pocket.
Adding the black bears at dusk
AML also sells a whale cruise with a black bear watch, from ~$155, which adds two hours at dusk at Ferme 5 Étoiles near Sacré-Coeur, with a drive between the two that you make yourself. Its catch shapes your packing. Dusk in the forest means mosquitoes, so bring insect repellent and keep the long sleeves and long pants on after the cruise. The bears are drawn in with food and watched from a stand, which many reviewers found staged, and some saw none.
A rough patch of water is easier to sit through warm and dry, and seasickness on the St. Lawrence has the other habits that help. Parents packing for smaller people will find more in whale watching with kids, and what a whale trip costs adds up the extras worth budgeting for.