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Bonaventure Island is a small island off the coast of Percé in Quebec's Gaspésie region, within the Parc national de l'Île-Bonaventure-et-du-Rocher-Percé. Surrounded by the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the island combines coastal cliffs, forests, meadows, rocky shorelines, and open sea. Its best-known feature is its large colony of Northern Gannets, one of the world's largest and most accessible colonies of the species. The island is reached by boat from Percé, making the crossing itself part of the experience and providing views of the island, seabirds, marine wildlife, and Percé Rock.
Bonaventure Island also preserves an important record of the Gaspésie fishing economy. Historic buildings on the island are associated with the LeBoutillier Brothers, a Jersey-based fishing company that operated in the region. The LeBoutillier management house and other ancestral buildings help explain the organization of the cod fishery and the communities that depended on the sea. The island's cultural landscape also reflects the broader history of Percé, where fishing, maritime trade, and coastal settlement shaped local life. Guided activities and the park's discovery centre provide additional context about the island's natural and human heritage.
The island has four main hiking trails totaling about 15 kilometres, passing through meadows, fields, coniferous and mixed forests, peatlands, beaches, and coastal cliffs. The trails lead toward the Northern Gannet colony, where thousands of birds nest on the cliffs during the breeding season. Other seabirds can also be seen, while seals and marine mammals occur in the surrounding waters. The Chemin-du-Roy trail passes historic buildings and coastal scenery, while the island's varied habitats support a wide range of plant species, including plants adapted to its exposed maritime environment.
Food on Bonaventure Island is centered on simple visitor meals, picnic supplies, sandwiches, soups, salads, desserts, and local beverages available during the operating season. The surrounding Gaspésie region is better known for seafood, including lobster, smoked salmon, and other products from the Gulf of St. Lawrence. One of the island's most distinctive details is the sheer concentration of nesting Northern Gannets: the colony can be viewed from designated areas close to the cliffs without entering the nesting grounds. The combination of seabird habitat, historic fishing buildings, and coastal trails gives Bonaventure Island a character distinct from the nearby mainland.