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Saguenay Fjord

Saguenay Fjord

The majestic Saguenay Fjord was carved during the ice age, and it allows the waters from the Atlantic Ocean and of the Gulf of Saint-Lawrence to flow into the heart of the Saguenay Kingdom. Its basin covers 88,000 sq. km. The fjord spreads well over a hundred kilometres, which makes it one of the longest fjords in the world. Its width varies from 1 to 3, 5 kilometres. It’s surrounded by steep rock faces reaching average heights of 150 metres. Cape Trinite goes over 411 meters and Cape Eternite goes over 457 meters.

This arm of the sea is unique in the world. Four billions years ago during the geological formation of the Canadian Shield, the Saguenay Fjord was formed following successive glaciations that dug deeply into its natural bed. The fjord has a particular geographical environment. Although it is not under direct arctic influence, its climate is that of a northern region with its astonishing temperature variations.

In winter, the ice that covers the fjord waters moves with the tides that may reach amplitude of five metres.

The Saguenay fjord blends its freshwater with the seawater of the Atlantic. Since the densities of these waters are different due to their salinity and temperature, the warmer freshwater from Lac Saint-Jean slips over the denser cold seawater of the Saint Lawrence River.
 
Two huge parks are located on the shores of the fjord:

  • the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park which preserves the species and ecosystems of the St. Lawrence Estuary and the Saguenay Fjord.
  • the Saguenay National Park, one of Quebec’s most invaluable jewels. It preserves the uniqueness of the Saguenay fjord and its natural beauty

The Saguenay Fjord shelters some 76 fish species, and over 60 of these are found exclusively in the fjord. Speckled trout, rainbow smelt and typical salt water species like cod, Atlantic redfish and even the enigmatic Greenland shark, also called laimargue can be found here.

The fjord is also home to a wide variety of benthic marine organisms that include starfish, sea urchins, marine worms, gastropods and other species. There are about 410 species of invertebrates in the fjord, and the majority, as those of the estuary, have a northern affinity.

See also:

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Website: Quebec: http://provincequebec.com

Article's URL: http://provincequebec.com/rivers-lakes-and-dolphins/saguenay-fjord/

URLs in this article:
[1] Rivers, lakes, bays…: http://provincequebec.com/rivers-lakes-and-dolphins/
[2] Saguenay-St-Lawrence Marine Park: http://provincequebec.com/forests-parc-mountains-quebec/saguenat-st-lawrence-marine-park/
[3] Saguenay Fjord Museum: http://provincequebec.com/museums/fjord-museum/
[4] Saguenay national Park: http://provincequebec.com/forests-parc-mountains-quebec/saguenay-national-park/
[5] Image: http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&url=http%3A%2F%2Fprovincequebec.com%2Frivers-lakes-and-dolphins%2
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[11] Image: http://technorati.com/faves?add=http%3A%2F%2Fprovincequebec.com%2Frivers-lakes-and-dolphins%2Fsaguen
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