Bonaventure Island is a snorkeler’s secret treasure, situated in the Gulf of St. Lawrence off the coast of Quebec. The island is well-known for its pristine waters and a wealth of marine life, which make for an amazing underwater experience.
You’ll see a range of vibrant fish and unusual marine life as you snorkel around the island. It’s a great place to observe marine biodiversity because the stony reefs are brimming with life.
Bonaventure Island’s surrounding waters are renowned for their exceptional visibility, which frequently permits you to see for several meters in front of you. Your snorkelling experience is improved by its clarity, which offers unhindered views of the underwater environment.
Bonaventure Island, also known as île Bonaventure in French, is a Canadian island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence that is situated 5 km (3.1 mi) southeast of the settlement of Percé and 3.5 km (2.2 mi) off the southern coast of the Gaspé Peninsula in Quebec. It is round and 4.16 km2 (1.61 sq mi) in size.
Along with Percé, Bonaventure Island (Île Bonaventure) was one of New France’s first summer fishing ports and was linked to Nicolas Denys’ family. Early in the 1790s, settlers arrived from southern Ireland. Jersey native Peter Du Val established a fishery business on lot number one prior to 1819, and although the population reached its peak, the business persisted until 1845.
Humans have not lived on this island since the Canadian government forced its inhabitants to leave in 1971. But the population of the island isn’t nil. One of the greatest populations of Northern Gannets in the world may be found on Bonaventure Island, which has cliffs and beaches covered in white-winged animals.
The 1916 Migratory Bird Convention between the United States and Canada made the island a migratory bird refuge in 1919. In 1971, the whole community was forced to leave the island when the Province of Quebec obtained ownership of it through an act of expropriation. All occupants were evicted at this time, and about 35 families were forced to relocate. Later, in 1985, the Province of Quebec combined it with Percé Rock to form the Parc national de l’île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé, which encompasses both Percé Rock and Bonaventure Island. With almost 280,000 birds, Bonaventure Island is one of the biggest and easiest-to-reach bird sanctuaries in the world. From May to October, boat and island tours are available. It has been documented that 218 distinct bird species visit, migrate, or reside on Bonaventure Island.
The northern gannet is the most prevalent bird on the island. With 51,700 pairs in 2011, the island is home to one of the biggest gannet colonies in the world.
The aircraft carrier HMCS Bonaventure was named after the island.