The park is the base for Bay of Gaspe whale-watching cruises. “Sometimes,” said onboard naturalist Marc Trudel, “it takes half an hour to gain a good view.” On this day, it took 14 minutes to view our ...

“You can bang your paddle on the side of the kayak if you want to keep him away,” the guide told us in a thick Québécois accent. A nervous-looking woman in a rig behind me started knocking her paddle.

Everyone who has ever contemplated a trip knows the fun of planning. At some point in the planning process — I'm not there yet — well beyond midpoint, where almost everything is tucked up and looking ...