The waters of the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence are well known for being home to a variety of marine wildlife species, particularly marine mammals. While the maritime regions of Québec are best known as a whale-watching destination (where you can see beluga whales, among others), you can also spot seals along the coasts of these regions. Eastern Québec has two distinct seal seasons, each represented by two species: harbour seals and grey seals in the summer, and harp seals and hooded seals in the winter.

Harbour and grey seals spend the summer feeding in our waters and then migrate south to the eastern coast of the United States where the water is free of floating ice in the winter. Harp and hooded seals come to the Gulf of St. Lawrence and sometimes the estuary during the cold season to whelp their pups; in the spring, they migrate north to ice-filled subarctic and Arctic waters to feed.

The harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) is the smallest of the Laurentian seals, reaching a length of 1.2 to 1.8 metres (4 to 6 feet) and weighing up to 110 kg (245 lbs). This seal is easy to recognize thanks to its signature “banana pose”: when resting on a rock or beach, it tends to lie on its side with its head and hind flippers elevated. The harbour seal has a short plump body and small catlike head. Harbour seals are quite shy and will retreat upon encountering boats or hikers. They are common in the maritime regions of Québec, especially in the Rivière-du-Loup area, on Île Verte and between Le Bic and Sainte-Flavie in Bas-Saint-Laurent; in Forillon National Park in Gaspésie; and on the Old Harry (Grande Échouerie) and Dune du Sud beaches in the Îles de la Madeleine.

The grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) is the most common of the Laurentian seals as well as one of the largest, reaching a length of 1.8 to 2.3 metres (6 to 7.5 feet) and weighing 150 to 230 kg (330 to 510 lbs). Grey with darker patches, this seal has a horse-like head: its muzzle is long with widely spaced nostrils. The diving champion among Québec seals, it can reach depths of up to 300 metres (1000 feet) and stay underwater for up to 30 minutes. Grey seals can often be spotted along the north shore of the St. Lawrence from Tadoussac to Blanc-Sablon in Côte-Nord and on the south shore from Rivière-du-Loup to Percé. In the summer, it’s also the most common species found in the Îles de la Madeleine.

The harp seal (Pagophilus groenlandicus) is one of the Arctic’s most iconic species. About 1.5 metres (5 feet) long and weighing 120 kg (260 lbs), this seal has a silvery grey body with dark harp- or wishbone-shaped markings. Harp seals are one of the most numerous large mammals on earth, with a world population of about 6 million. These seals migrate to the ice in the Gulf of St. Lawrence in February to breed and whelp their pups after a gestation period of nearly a year. Your odds of observing these seals and their young, known as whitecoats, depends heavily on weather conditions since the females need stable ice to give birth and raise their pups. Births can sometimes be observed in the Îles de la Madeleine and in Côte-Nord on the Lower North Shore.

The hooded seal Cystophora cristata) owes its name to the inflatable hood on the top of the male’s head. Relatively uncommon in the St. Lawrence, this seal is about 2.3 metres (7.5 feet) long and weighs 350 kg (770 lbs). Hooded seals can be found on the ice in the Gulf of St. Lawrence from late February to early March, which means you can sometimes spot them in the Îles de la Madeleine. Young seals can also sometimes be seen in the St. Lawrence Estuary in the spring.

In Québec, seals are much easier to observe than cetaceans because they commonly rest on the shore, rocks, beaches or even wharves. They can also be found in more populated areas since they often visit harbours and marinas to feed or rest. Seals are therefore a common sight in both the summer and the winter along the coasts of Eastern Québec. If you keep your eyes peeled as you travel, you’re very likely to spot a few!