Chaleur Bay
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Chaleur Bay (French Baie des Chaleurs) is an arm of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence separating Quebec's Gaspé Peninsula from New Brunswick's North Shore. The wide mouth of the Restigouche River is formed at the western-most (upper) end of the bay. The name was reportedly given by explorer Jacques Cartier. The French name means "bay of warmth" or "bay of torrid weather".
The name can be misleading because the bay's water temperature can be cold even in the middle of summer. However, recurring warmer currents contribute at times, to make the water of this bay, the warmest North of the State of virginia. Chaleur Bay has many fine beaches, set in pristine natural settings, and the sand can get very warm on the sunnier days of summer. As it is a salt water body of water, the smell of salt water is quite prominent where it meets other shallow bodies of water, notably the Restigouche River. Chaleur bay is a natural spawning area for many species of fish. It is well known for its succulent lobster and scallop.
Chaleur Bay is a member of the prestigious Most Beautiful Bays of the World Club. It is also home to the world's second longest natural sand bar, the Eel River Bar. This sand bar is unique not only because is has fresh water on one side and salt water on the next, but because it is home to many endangered birds, bald eagles, peregrine falcons, harlequin ducks, and piping plovers.
The bay is host to an unusual visual phenomenon, the Phantom Ship of the Bay of Chaleur, an apparition of sorts resembling a ship on fire which appears all over the Bay.
The following major rivers flow into the bay:
Quebec:
- Rivière Matapédia (via the Restigouche)
- Rivière Cascapédia
- Rivière Bonaventure
- Rivière du Grand Pabos
New Brunswick:
- Upsalquitch River (via the Restigouche)
- Nepisiguit River
- Tetagouche River
- Charlo River
Between Quebec and New Brunswick:
- Restigouche River
- Patapédia River (via the Restigouche)
There is also a Chaleur Bay in Newfoundland and Labrador.
