September 10, 2014. Port-Daniel to Perce, Quebec. 36 miles.

This morning we had the best breakfast ever! There were so many options that we could not even try them all. The last time Myra came around with coffee Otis asked for half a cup and that's exactly what he got! I asked Myra to call the whale watching company to see what time their cruises were (since my French is not exactly fluent) and she obliged. The afternoon cruise time was 1 PM.

We lined up on the front porch for a photo with Myra, loaded into the trucks and headed to the spot we stopped riding yesterday. The hills seemed even more intense in the truck! we were sure glad we did this part of the route yesterday instead of this morning.

I was riding with Diana when we came upon this giant chair in a playground. We took each other's photos and found out later that most of the rest of our group did the same. A short while later we came upon Bill and Doris in another park. This must be the region of giant reproductions. This park was near Grande-Riviere and had information boards telling of the fishing industry.

There are picnic tables under the shelter of the big fish. Diana is standing among giant mussels, and Otis and Dianne are under one of many fish posted around the park.

We were riding fast today, since some of us wanted to go on the whale watching cruise, but I stopped to take photos when I was overcome by the beauty. We rode along the coast all day today, with the strong gusty wind at our backs.

 

 

We arrived at the lunch stop, just 3 miles short of our motel. After eating we changed clothes and Fred drove Otis, Diana and me to the docks for the whale watching cruise.

25 passengers and 3 crew were on the Emy-Michael. We motored out past Perce Rock into the open water. First we saw porpoises and dolphins, then a sun fish up close to the boat.  The captain narrated the tour first in French and then in English, but it seemed like the French sections were much longer than the English. Oh well, we're the foreigners here.

Just when I was thinking I wasted my money on the cruise, whales were spotted by a passenger with binoculars. We got closer to them, so close that they were on both sides of us! They were fin whales, 5 or 6 on the starboard side and 3 or 4 on the port side. It was hard to tell the number because they really do all look alike. They surfaced after blowing a spout of water, and were impossible to photograph. I left the camera in my pocket and enjoyed the show.  After we watched several cycles (they blow, then surface, then dive for about 12 minutes before repeating the cycle) we buttoned up the side curtains and headed back toward shore. It was a really rough ride! But as we neared our dock a couple more fin whales came out to play right next to the boat. The final show was one very large whale about 20 feet off the port side. It was longer than the 40 foot boat and we saw its entire length as it surfaced. We certainly got our money's worth!