Île Bonaventure: Northern Gannet Colony by Boat

The boat from Percé takes fifteen minutes and covers a few hundred metres of open Gulf water. When you step onto Île Bonaventure, you enter a different world — an island that has been a protected nature reserve since 1971, whose human settlers left in 1971, and whose non-human residents number approximately 110,000 northern gannets plus significant populations of black-legged kittiwakes, common murres, razorbills, and Atlantic puffins. The gannets are the draw that brings most visitors across, and nothing quite prepares you for them.

Northern gannets are large seabirds — wingspan up to 1.8 metres, body length 90 centimetres, brilliant white with black wingtips and a golden wash on the head. They are spectacular divers, dropping vertically into the sea from heights of 30 metres to catch fish. And they are extraordinarily social: the colony on Île Bonaventure’s eastern cliffs is one of the six largest gannet colonies in the world, and on peak summer days the air above those cliffs is so thick with birds that the noise alone is remarkable from 200 metres away. Then you reach the cliff edge.

The colony: scale and behaviour

The eastern cliffs of Île Bonaventure drop approximately 60 metres into the Gulf, and every square centimetre of ledge, crack, and outcrop that a gannet can claim a nest on is occupied from mid-April through early October. Pairs perform elaborate greeting rituals — mutual bill-fence displays involving rapid head movements and soft calls — to reinforce pair bonds that often last many years. Juveniles, identifiable by their dark brown-grey plumage, practice wing-extending on the cliff edges and test the wind before their first flights. Fledglings that successfully launch from the cliffs will not return to land for 2–3 years.

The observation platform at the cliff edge brings visitors to within 3–5 metres of the outermost nesting pairs. This is not approximating wildlife — it is as close as you can get to wild large seabirds without stepping into their colony. The smell is powerful. The sound — a continuous multi-layered cacophony of calls, wings, and wind — is disorientating for the first few minutes. The visual effect of looking down onto a cliff face covered in white birds, and then out over the Gulf where hundreds more are diving, circling, and returning with fish, is the kind of experience that becomes a reference point for everything you’ve seen before and after.

Hiking trails on the island

The island has four marked trails totalling approximately 15 kilometres. Most visitors take the most direct route to the gannet colony and return the same way, a 4-kilometre walk taking about 90 minutes each direction. Those with more time have options.

Chemin des Écoliers (the standard gannet trail): 4 km from the landing dock to the colony viewpoint. The path crosses the island through abandoned farm clearings — the former settlers grew hay and kept livestock — and then enters boreal forest before emerging on the cliff plateau. The transition from forest to open cliff with the full colony ahead is the moment the visit crystallises.

Chemin du Roy: The longer route along the south shore of the island, passing the ruins of former settlement buildings and the restored lighthouse. This trail takes longer and requires more time management relative to the return boat schedule.

Sentier des Colonies: A loop trail that allows you to see the full extent of the gannet cliff without backtracking on Chemin des Écoliers. The complete loop from the dock to the colony and back via this route is approximately 8 kilometres.

Sentier du littoral: A coastal trail on the north shore with views of Percé Rock across the water and good spots to watch gannets diving offshore. This section has some of the best viewpoints for photographing the rock from a distance.

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Other wildlife on the island

While the gannets are the headline attraction, Île Bonaventure supports a diverse seabird community on and around its cliffs.

Black-legged kittiwakes: A smaller gull species that nests on narrow ledges in the same cliff system as the gannets. Their distinctive cry — the origin of their name — is audible throughout the colony area.

Common murres and thick-billed murres: Diving seabirds that look somewhat like small penguins in colouring. They nest on narrower ledges below the gannet section and dive to considerable depths for fish.

Razorbills: Close relatives of the murres, with a distinctive thick bill. Less numerous than murres but present in the colony.

Atlantic puffins: Small numbers nest in rock crevices on the island. They are harder to spot than the more conspicuous gannets and murres but worth looking for in the cliff areas.

Grey seals: Often visible hauled out on rocks at the island’s eastern end, particularly in September and October as the season progresses.

Harbour porpoises: Frequently visible in the waters between the island and the mainland, often visible from the boat crossing.

The boat crossing and operators

Multiple operators run the Percé–Bonaventure crossing from the commercial wharf in Percé village. The crossing takes 15 minutes each way. Most operators offer three options:

Rock circumnavigation + island landing: The standard option, combining a tour around Percé Rock (passing through or near the arch depending on sea conditions) with landing on the island. Total time is 4–6 hours including island hiking.

Island landing only: A straight crossing without the rock tour, for those who have already done the circumnavigation or who want maximum island time.

Rock circumnavigation without landing: For those with limited mobility or who prefer not to hike. The boat view of the gannet colony from the sea is spectacular, even if it doesn’t replace the cliff-edge experience.

The boats are open (no covered cabin on most vessels) and the Gulf can be cold and windy even in August. Bring a windproof layer regardless of the mainland temperature. Boarding time for island landings requires attention — missing the return boat has already been covered above, and it won’t be the operator’s problem.

Practical logistics

Season: The boat service operates mid-June to mid-October. The gannets begin arriving in April but are not fully established until May–June, and they depart in October. The peak of colony activity — most birds present, most breeding behaviour visible — is July and August.

Booking: Advance booking is recommended for July and August weekends. Operators sometimes cancel on short notice due to weather (sea state rather than rain — the crossing is done in drizzle but not in rough water). Have a backup day in your schedule.

Trail difficulty: The trails are gravel and dirt paths, some with moderate elevation change. Standard hiking footwear is appropriate. The trails are not accessible for those who cannot walk 4 km on uneven surfaces.

Photography: The standard lens for the colony is a 300–400mm equivalent for individuals and portraits. Wider angles are needed for the colony overview shots from the cliff edge. The light on the cliff faces is best in morning (eastern exposure).

Children: The crossing and trails are suitable for children old enough to manage the hike (roughly 8 and up comfortably). The colony experience is intense — impressive rather than frightening, but worth preparing children for the scale and noise.

Getting to Percé

The boat to Île Bonaventure departs from Percé, which requires driving to the tip of the Gaspésie peninsula — approximately 650 km from Quebec City (6.5–7.5 hours) or following the peninsula circuit. Percé is not accessible by bus from outside the region in any practical way; a car is required.

Where to stay near the island

Île Bonaventure has no overnight accommodation — the island is visited as a day trip from Percé. For accommodation, see the Percé Rock page for the full list of Percé village options.

The closest accommodation to the wharf is in Percé village itself, with the best whale and rock views from the hotels on the waterfront strip. For a quieter option, several gîtes are set back from the main street in the hills above the village.

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Related pages

• Percé Rock — the companion landmark, visible across the water
• Forillon National Park — seals and coastal hiking nearby
• Gaspésie region overview — planning the full peninsula circuit
• Whale watching in Quebec — the broader marine wildlife context

Frequently asked questions about Île Bonaventure: Northern Gannet Colony by Boat

Is prior booking required for the boat to Île Bonaventure? Strongly recommended in July and August. Walk-up spaces may be available on weekday mornings outside peak season, but weekends fill. Most operators take online and telephone bookings.

Can you camp on the island? No. Île Bonaventure is a day-visit reserve; there are no camping facilities and the island closes at dusk. All visitors must return on the scheduled boats.

What is the best time of day to visit? Morning departures allow the most time on the island and typically offer calmer sea conditions for the crossing. Afternoon light on the eastern cliffs is also excellent for photography if you can manage the timing.

Are the gannets there all year? No. Gannets are present on the island from mid-April through mid-October. Outside those dates, the colony is empty and the boat service does not operate.