Baie des Chaleurs
Chaleur Bay (fr. Baie des Chaleurs) is an arm of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence separating Quebec's Gaspe Peninsula from New Brunswick's "North Shore". The name was reportedly given by explorer Jacques Cartier. In French the name means "Bay of warmth" or "Bay of torrid weather".
The name is misleading because the bay's water temperature is cold even in the middle of summer. This is not surprising, since the bay lacks the shallow depths of the nearby Northumberland Strait, which consequently has warmer water temperatures in summer months. The Bay of Chaleur has many fine beaches, set in pristine natural settings, and the sand can get very warm on the sunnier days of summer.
The following major rivers flow into the bay:
Quebec:
- Matapédia
- Cascapédia
- Bonaventure
- Upsalquitch River
- Nepisiguit River
- Tetagouche River
- Restigouche River
- Patapedia
Not to be confused with Chaleur Bay in Newfoundland and Labrador.
