Each winter, tens of thousands of harp seals gather on the pack ice around Quebec’s Magdalen Islands, an archipelago in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. What makes this natural migration even more extraordinary is that it’s accessible to travellers. With just a short helicopter flight, visitors can be on the floes up close to the animals. It’s an experience unique to this part of Canada.
The excursion draws visitors from around the world, including Jennifer Hayes, a contributor with National Geographic magazine, who has been visiting the islands since 2011 to document the seals.
Each visit is memorable, she says, but three years ago, she witnessed a rare sight.
