EXPLORAMER
This scientific museum invites visitors to discover the ecosystems and biodiversity of the St. Lawrence. In summer 2025, Exploramer will inaugurate a new ecosystem aquarium and permanent exhibition. Through this exhibition, you'll be transported to the heart of the St. Lawrence and meet the fish, molluscs and crustaceans that live there. The tour includes a tactile experience led by scientific animators: touch live lobsters, starfish and sea urchins! Upstairs, two temporary exhibitions are presented: Exceptional Beings. When science competes with fiction, and Tentacles and Co. In addition to the exhibitions, the museum offers a wide range of activities to discover, taste and learn about the St. Lawrence:
Excursions at sea aboard the C-E Marin Exploramer: 4 themes offered daily by scientific animators(Discovery of the St. Lawrence, Laboratory on the Sea, Blue Fork introduction to sustainable fisheries and Sunset on the Sea).
Dare to Taste explains how Quebec's commercial fisheries work and how to consume seafood sustainably, concluding with a tasting of 5 little-known local marine species.
Animated activities on the shore: Fish-picking with access to fyke nets (fixed fishing gear), Guided walk on the beach to discover the species that live there, and Night stroll on the beach.
Exploramer will also be inaugurating the St. Lawrence Shark Pavilion.
Did you know? This review was written by our professional authors.
Further information
Opening time and information on EXPLORAMER
June to October: daily, 9am to 5pm. See website for rates and packages.
Message from Management
Located halfway between Rimouski and Gaspé, on the Sainte-Anne-des-Monts wharf in the heart of the village, Exploramer, La mer à découvrir is a complex of activities on the marine environment of the St. Lawrence.
Our mission is to educate the public about protecting and understanding the marine environment of the St. Lawrence.
Our offers and services
Fish-picking activity
Put on your trouser boots and follow the scientific guide along the shoreline. With your feet in the water, take advantage of low tide to discover the plants and animals that live in these temporarily exposed areas.
Take part ina unique experience and discover the Gaspé coastline by handling plaice, sculpins and other species caught in the fishing net
.DURATION: 2h00Schedule
: Fish-picking activities are offered only at low tide.Schedule 2024TARIFFS
*The
activity may be cancelled without notice due to unfavorable weather conditions.
**Minimum height to participate in the activity is 1.3 m (4′ 3″).
Beach walk activity
When the tide doesn't allow us to reach the fyke net, Exploramer offers a guided walk on the beach. Discover the coastline, the plants and birds that live there. With your feet in the water, taste the algae of the St. Lawrence and learn how to tell them apart. Marvel at the captive invertebrates in the hopscotches.
DURATION: 1 H 30
Schedule: Guided walks on the beach are offered only at low tide.
SCHEDULE 2024
*The activity may be cancelled without notice due to adverse weather conditions.
**Minimum height to participate in the activity is 1.3 m (4′ 3″).
Nocturnal activity on the beach
From 2024-07-08 at 2024-08-21
On July 8, July 23, August 6 and August 21, 2024 the guided beach walk becomes nocturnal. Come and discover what we can't see during the day. Small plaice, sand shrimps, hyperactive crabs and maybe even bioluminescence!
Equipment required: headlamp and warm jacket
Reservations must be made before 5 p.m. on the day of the activity, by phone at (418) 764-2500 or via our online ticketing service.
DURATION: 1 h 30
Sea excursions
From 2024-06-02 at 2024-10-06
Set sail aboard the C-E Marin Exploramer for a science-themed excursion to discover the marine biodiversity of the St. Lawrence. Watch crabs, whelks or lobsters being lifted from their traps, test your fishing skills or become an oceanographer. Back at the dock, you'll never see the St. Lawrence in the same way again.
The C-E Marin Exploramer can accommodate 30 people in an enclosed cabin, including space for a passenger in a wheelchair (for reservations, call 418-763-2500). Toilets, a laboratory, observation tables and specialized fishing gear are all aboard.
This excursion is your first contact with the St. Lawrence. Witness the raising of whelk and rock crab traps. Let the scientific animator teach you about trap fishing techniques, species biology and habitat. You'll also learn how to handle a crab... without getting your fingers pinched!
Duration: 1 h 30
Schedule: From June 2 to June 29, 3:30 p.m. by reservation only, then from June 30 to October 6, 2024 daily at 11 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
Daily departures:
From June 30 to September 6, 2024, reservations highly recommended to ensure a place.
from June 2 to June 29, 2024, for the 3:30 pm boat, reservations must be made by 5:00 pm the day before the sea excursion.
*Sea excursions may be cancelled without notice due to unfavorable weather conditions.
Laboratory activity on the sea
From 2024-07-01 at 2024-08-20
Transform yourself into an oceanographer for a day at sea. Take part in data collection using scientific instruments such as a CTD probe and a plankton sampling net. Watch a lobster trap being lifted and demystify the biology of this species with a scientific animator. Understand the study of the marine environment while having fun.
Duration: 1 h 30
Schedule: Daily at 1:30 p.m., July 1 to August 20, 2024
Introduction to sustainable fishing - Blue Fork program
From 2024-07-01 at 2024-08-28
This sea excursion is dedicated to recreational fishing and Blue Fork. This initiation will enable you to cast your line into the water and discover little-known species of the St. Lawrence, such as the hemitrypter or the sculpin, in the company of a scientific guide. Learn more about fish anatomy and sustainable fishing and release techniques.
Duration: 2 hours
Schedule: Every morning at 7 a.m., from July 1 to August 28, 2024
Equipment provided:
Fishing rods;
Fishing tackle box (bait, flies, line, swivels and hooks);
Fishnet;
Extra-large freezer bags (1 per family);
Gutting knife;
Fish scale.
** For the "Blue Fork, Introduction to Sustainable Fishing" excursion, catches must comply with regulations governing spring-summer recreational groundfish fishing on the Saguenay Fjord, Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence.
To find out how to add value to your catch and learn more about sustainable fishing, click here.
Sunset tour on the river
From 2024-06-24 at 2024-08-20
Let yourself be carried away by the waves on a contemplative evening excursion. Take advantage of this relaxing moment to admire the breathtaking colors of the setting Gaspé sun. The perfect opportunity to take spectacular photos.
Duration: 1 hourSchedule
: Every day at sunset, from June 24 to August 2024.
..Dare to Taste! activity - blue Fork program
From 2024-07-01 at 2024-09-15
This tasting activity, led by a naturalist guide, lets you discover Quebec's fishing industry and the responsible choices offered by the St. Lawrence Seaway, while sampling five marine species promoted by Fourchette bleue
.DURATION: 30 MINUTESTIME
: 11:30 A.M. AND 3:00 P.M. JULY 1 TO SEPTEMBER 15, 2024
Aquarium and touch pools
Our aquariums present a living collection of fish and organisms inhabiting the estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence. Alone or accompanied by a scientific guide, explore some twenty tanks containing over 1,000 individuals of 60 different species.
Guided tour*
Accompanied by a scientific guide, discover the biodiversity of the marine St. Lawrence. Let yourself be seduced by the richness of this impressive waterway as you explore the aquariums and learn how to protect the species that live there.
*Includes museum and aquarium admission.
Duration: 30 minutes
Touch tanks
This set of five tanks recreates the water bowls present at low tide, allowing you to learn more about well-known species and meet little-known species of invertebrates that inhabit our coasts.
You'll be able to touch species such as the Rock Crab, the Common Starfish, the Polar Starfish, the Bourgot, the Purple Nucelle and the Lunatie. You can also pet the Sea Cucumber and the Green Sea Urchin, shake hands with the American Lobster or discover the Acadian Hermit Crabs.
*Includes museum and aquarium admission.
Duration: 30 minutes
Museum and exhibitions
- I, the St. Lawrence.
The permanent exhibition I, the St. Lawrence. Presents a living collection of fish and organisms inhabiting the marine St. Lawrence. You'll discover the beauties of this underwater Eden as you explore the basins and aquariums containing nearly 60 different species.
- Exceptional Beings - Science meets fiction
Fact or fiction: Is the northern shrimp a hermaphrodite? Does the common starfish secrete glue? Can the feather anemone clone itself ad infinitum? Are the lobster's bladders inside its head?
Banal creatures or exceptional beings? Discover the brand-new exhibition "Êtres d'exception. When science rivals fiction" to find the answers to these questions.
- Tentacles and Co
An educational and interactive exhibition on the invertebrate marine animals found in Canadian waters. Tentacles and Co. will enable visitors to discover the importance of the tentacle, a sensory appendage, present in certain marine species, and their role and evolution within the natural and cultural history and marine biodiversity of Canada. In addition, the exhibition will cover the tales and legends that draw inspiration from them, as well as the environmental issues and scientific research being carried out on these key players in oceanic upheavals and their marine ecosystems.
- Northern Gannet: Sentinels of the St. Lawrence
An island in the middle of the St. Lawrence, birds that change their behavior, chicks that die... What's behind these strange phenomena?
Come and meet the gannet, the researchers' private detective. The exhibition highlights the workings of the food chain and the subtle balance between the eaters and the eaten. Follow the seabirds' journey from land to sea, through the feathers of the Northern Gannet.
- Blue Fork exhibition
Blue Fork is an eco-guide for consumers, advising on the choice of local fish and seafood, and a certification for restaurants and fishmongers. In this exhibition, you can learn about sustainable fisheries, the species promoted by Fourchette Bleue, and get recipe ideas for cooking them.
Free access to this exhibition located in the Restaurant La Mer à boire.
- Croque-poissons rally
The Croque-poissons rally is an activity offered to families or teams as part of their visit to the Museum and Aquarium*. Croque-poissons plunges you into the food mysteries of the St. Lawrence. You'll unravel these mysteries by answering some 30 questions and taking on challenges throughout the activity.
DURATION: Approx. 1h30
RATES: $5
*Ask for your kit at the ticket office.
Travelling exhibition :
Mysteries beneath the waves
Give your visitors a glimpse into the heart of the St. Lawrence. This bilingual exhibition presents current scientific work on four major themes: physical oceanography, fishing and mariculture, marine biotechnologies and ecological issues. Laboratory areas allow visitors to put themselves in the shoes of researchers and get hands-on with science.
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Members' reviews on EXPLORAMER
The ratings and reviews below reflect the subjective opinions of members and not the opinion of The Little Witty.
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La naturaliste est très professionnelle.
Je recommande vivement.
À notre grande surprise, la voiture verte a commencé à nous suivre, même lorsque nous avons garé notre voiture sur le parking du poste de police. Elle s'est arrêtée à une trentaine de mètres, semblant nous attendre. Inquiets pour notre sécurité, nous avons rapidement contacté la police.
Après notre appel, nous avons constaté que la voiture verte était partie et nous avons repris notre route. Cependant, nous nous sommes vite aperçus qu'ils étaient revenus sur leurs pas en partant d'une autre direction. Heureusement, nous avons pris la direction opposée et ils ne sont plus réapparus dans notre champ de vision. C'est sans aucun doute l'expérience la plus pénible que j'ai vécue au cours de mes 23 années passées au Canada.