Saint-Lawrence Estuary

The St. Lawrence estuary broadens between the north shore and the Gaspé Peninsula before opening into the gulf. Beneath it runs the deep Laurentian Channel, carrying cold Atlantic water inland below the river's fresher surface flow. Tides mix the waters and bring nutrients upward, supporting plankton, fish and whales. Belugas inhabit the estuary and the Saguenay, while winter ice spreads across the water between the riverbanks.