Being outdoors makes me feel something. When I am out in the open, fresh air, I cannot believe there is a whole world out there for me to explore. One of my favorite excursions to take while visiting a new coastal city is whale watching. Every trip is different, and you never know what you will see when out on the vast blue waters.

I recently went whale-watching in Québec. We woke up bright and early and headed off to Tadoussac, about an hour north of Québec City. The ride is a bit long but scenic, with mountains, lakes and the hope we might get to see a moose, so it was enjoyable. To get to the dock, you have to take a free, 10-minute ferry that crosses Canadian Fjord. This short ride is stunning and took my breath away. I could not capture it in a photo, but I attempted.

AML Cruises seemed to be the only whale-watching service in the area, so tourists flock to these boats to catch a glimpse of these incredible creatures. I threw on my bright yellow rain jacket and boarded the large ship. Little did I know, I would need more than just a shirt and light rain jacket. The air off of the calm water was freezing. Wind brushed by my face, making my dimples and nose bright pink and chapped. I grabbed a steaming cup of hot chocolate from the food stand on deck and braced the cold so I would not miss a thing.

The tour starts in the St. Lawrence River, which turns into the Gulf of St. Lawrence — the best whale-watching site in the world due to the high amount of food (krill) cultivated in the area. Several boats travel together, searching for any sign of marine life. The tour guide, who impressively spoke French, English, Spanish and Mandarin to accommodate almost every customer, spotted something ‘way in the distance, so we went full speed in that direction. Grey seals popped up every so often with their chubby bodies and cute, curious eyes staring at us, but we were on the hunt for a whale.

After about an hour or so of searching, we finally saw a cloud of water and a flick of a tail. We found a pod of minke whales. These mammals weight 6 to 8 tons and have a dark gray back, making them a little hard to spot in the dark blue waters. The boat approached the pod as close as we legally were allowed to go. I had binoculars, so I could see even better. The tour guide directed everyone in the direction she could see bubbles and tails and then a breach from one of the whales. Camera shutters went off as everyone tried to capture the perfect photo. We hung around for a while and then headed back to give some space to the beautiful animals.

As we headed back, I went inside the heated ship to warm up. I could barely feel my legs, but it was all worth it to see wild whales swimming about.

— Audrey Lee, intern