JC. Princen Forillon National Park is located at the eastern side of the Gaspe Peninsula, in the Appalachians. The landscape is a combination of sea, cliffs, rivers, rapids, and mountains. Wherever you look, there seems to be some inviting site that will catch your eyes, and your only danger is falling headlong into a pit or bumping into trees, thanks to all the distractions. A common saying associated with the Forillon National Park is “the man, land, and sea live together in harmony”.
There isn’t one thing that forms an attraction in this park. The landscape, flora, and fauna are so diverse, that the park receives a character unlike any other in its league. Even though it is a marine park, the land mammals refuse to be outdone and thrive in numbers that seem to be a direct challenge for attention with the marine life. The coniferous wood cover of the forest makes for perfect habitat for the majestic moose. Sharing this habitat with it are animals like the black bear, beaver, coyote, red fox, lynx, porcupine, bobcat, snowshoe hare, woodchuck, caribou, eastern chipmunk, American mink, ermine, and red squirrel.
Speaking of marine life, the ecosystem in the Forillon National park is conducive to various kinds of marine wildlife. You can spot invertebrates such crabs, lobsters, mussels, and sea urchins below rocks or in the sandy bottom of the basin. The rocky shores of the park are often used by harbor and grey seals as a place to laze and socialize in.
Around July, there is a huge stir in the waters with the arrival of the whales. There are seven species of them, including the largest mammal in the world, the blue whale. For all its size, it’s indeed incredible that it’s vegetarian. Other whales that can be seen from the shores are the humpback whales, toothed Minke whales, and pilot whale. You may even catch sight of Atlantic white-sided dolphins and porpoises as they travel in herds of hundreds. One can imagine what a sight that is.
Well, we’ve talked of land animals and sea animals, but the picture seems a little incomplete without a mention of our winged friends that deck the sky. There is a huge abundance of seabirds as well as land birds at Forillon. Apart from the regular gulls and razorbills, you also have the double-crested cormorant, blue herons, and the black-legged kittiwake which make up for the sea bird population. Among the land birds, which are in enough number to deserve a mention of their own are thrushes, sparrows, gulls, sandpipers, woodpeckers, jays, and warblers.
If you are a nature lover, there’s no way that you are going to be able to skip a trip to the Forillon National Park. The sheer abundance of wild life and greenery is going to pull you towards it like magnet. Be prepared to gravitate towards it naturally.
Featured Image: Parc National Forrilon
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