Group activities

The permanent exhibition: A Garden Under the Sea
The temporary exhibitions
The sea excursions
Short presentations
The outdoor activity
Privilege package

Group activities (Activités de groupe)

The permanent exhibition: A Garden Under the Sea

Guided visit : A dive in cold waters (duration : 1:15 – 1:30)

Underwater panoramas teeming with life offer unparalleled scenes that divers get the chance to admire, but remain a mystery for most people.  In the exhibition called A Garden Under the Sea, the aquariums and basins abound with surprising organisms that visitors get a chance to see up close.  Discover the great diversity of species that live in the waters of the St. Lawrence River  and the ways in which they have adapted to their habitat.  Moreover, the brave can also get their fingers wet in the tactile basins and touch molluscs, crustaceans and echinoderms.  A memorable experience!

The temporary exhibitions

Each sense of the sea (free visit)

Each sense of the sea is an exhibit that focuses on the connection between humans and the sea by calling on all five senses. Take part in series of experiments and see how the marine world changes the way you perceive things: feel the way a lobster does, see like a sperm whale, taste the salt water of the St. Lawrence, smell the odours of low tide and listen to the calls of the beluga.

Mysteries Under the Waves of the St. Lawrence River (free visit)

The exhibition called Mysteries Under the Waves of the St. Lawrence River relates different unsuspected aspects of the St. Lawrence River.  This intriguing exhibition reveals to visitors surprising plants, lesser-known animals, striking chemical and physical phenomena as well as wrecks that have gone to sleep hidden under the waters of the river.

Eyes Open in the Sea (free visit)

Wander through the dark world of the seabed as you keep your Eyes open under the sea. Like a deep sea diver, enjoy a relaxing underwater stroll and an intimate look at the wonders of the St. Lawrence

The sea excursions

Get on board the JV Exploramer, an 18-passenger covered Zodiac, for an ecological excursion at sea.

Four themes are available:

Discovering the St. Lawrence River (duration: 1½ hours)

This excursion offers a first contact with the St. Lawrence River.  Discover the magical world of the ecosystem of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and its estuary; watch the raising of whelk and common crab pots; touch little-known organisms and perhaps be witness to the graceful dance of marine mammals.

The Land of Fishing (duration: 1½ hours)

Discover the comprehensive story of fishing in the Gaspé Peninsula.  During this excursion, visitors will learn about the development of fishing in the Peninsula, from the time of small fishing vessels to today’s trawlers, the different aspects of the trade and its evolution over the years.  Furthermore, take part in a unique fishing experience:  the raising of snow crab and lobster pots.  These two species are widely commercialized in the Gaspé Peninsula.

A Laboratory on the Sea(duration: 1½ hours)

Participate in the gathering of scientific data and thus contribute to the preservation of the quality of the St. Lawrence  River waters while uncovering their mystery.  Everyday, the information collected on board the JV Exploramer is sent to and then analyzed at the Maurice-Lamontagne Institute, a Fishing and Oceans Canada research centre.  With the help of scientific instruments, observe the world of the infinitely small and infinitely large.  From plankton to whales, you will discover to what extent life in the St. Lawrence River is rich and diversified.

Sunset in Haute-Gaspésie(duration: 30 minutes)

Colourful and picturesque cruise.  Take advantage of the breathtaking sight offered by a sunset at sea.  A magical and beautiful experience

Short presentations (Les capsules)

Facilitated activities based on subjects related to the environment of the St. Lawrence River (duration: 15 minutes each)

The cosmic rhythm of tides

Invariably, every 6 hours and 12 minutes, ocean waters start to invade or recede from the shore in a daily back and forth movement.  The phenomenon of tides is explained to coastal visitors who tirelessly watch them.

United for life: the food chain

The marine food chain is based on the primary production of phytoplankton.  Starting with this first essential link, a complex network of relationships between organisms determines the presence and abundance of each of the species inhabiting the St. Lawrence.  This theatrical presentation makes learning about the functioning of the food chain and the impact of human interaction onit accessible and fun.

Toxins on the menu (bio-concentration)

 

The bio-concentration of pollutants are a menace to the belugas of the St. Lawrence River.  Why are belugas especially impacted?  Are the males more affected than the females?  In what way does this phenomenon concern us?  You will get answers to these questions in this health presentation!

Layers and fauna of the St. Lawrence River

The waters of the St. Lawrence River abound with a great variety of organisms.  They vary asmuch for their size as their physical appearance.  Come and discover the reasons why the St. Lawrence River shelters such abundant biodiversity and why Tadoussac seems to be the privileged meeting place of all kinds of whales as well as many other marine creatures.

The outdoor activity

Interpretive activity on the beach (duration: 30 minutes)

While on holidays on the seaside, we like to pick shells on the beach…This guided visit on the shore will get you to know more about all that can be found there, alive or not.  These treasures that end up on the beach are also proof of the real wealth of the St. Lawrence.

Privilege package (Forfait privilège)

“A half-day in the sea”

The package includes:

The visit of the permanent exhibition: Explore the seabed without getting wet!

Underwater panoramas teeming with life offer unparalleled scenes that divers get the chance to admire, but remain a mystery for most people.  During the guided visit of the exhibition called A Garden Under the Sea, the biologist responsible for the live collection will guide you through the numerous aquariums and basins that abound with surprising organisms that visitors get a chance to see up close.  Discover the great diversity of species that live in the St. Lawrence River bed and the ways in which they have adapted to their habitat.  Moreover, the brave can also get their fingers wet in the tactile basins and touch molluscs, crustaceans and echinoderms.  A memorable experience!

The sea excursion: A laboratory on the sea

You will get on board the JV Exploramer, an 18-passenger covered Zodiac for a sea excursion of a scientific nature.  In the company of a biologist, you will participate in the gathering of scientific data (water salinity, abundance of plankton, strength of currents, etc) and thus contribute to the preservation of the quality of the St. Lawrence River waters while uncovering their mystery.  With the help of scientific instruments, observe the world of the infinitely small and infinitely large.  From plankton to whales, you will discover to what extent life in the St. Lawrence River is rich and diversified.

Everyday, the information picked up collected on board the JV Exploramer is sent to and then analyzed at the Maurice-Lamontagne Institute, a Fishing and Oceans Canada research centre. 

The backstage visit of the basins and aquariums: More than a red fish bowl!

In order to preserve the organisms sheltered there, Exploramer’s infrastructures are important and demand meticulous attention to details on the part of the person in charge of the live collection.  With our biologist, you go inside the laboratory in order to learn how the technical systems of the basins work, about the feeding of different species, water quality tests, filtration, etc.

The rates of the “Half-day in the sea package” are available upon request.