This is the last morning of the expedition part of our fabulous eight-day epic in the Mingan Archipelago. The seals are singing in the distance. The sun shines brightly and the sea is very calm. We will head for the Havre in peace. We’re all rather slow; our bodies feel the weight of the expedition… It is difficult to leave Paradise!

Kayaks together, we paddle slowly to enjoy our last moments at sea. Exceptional colours, a soft sea breeze and many beautiful birds of different species are with us all the way. We make a last short stop at Île du Havre, our home base island.

As we near the Havre, we sense the end of our adventure. We make a “raft” of our kayaks and we hold hands. Héléna invites us to use these last moments to relive our best memories, take in the images of the wilderness, and fully appropriate our adventure. Everybody applauds, as we are happy and fulfilled by this unique experience. Together, we faced the challenge of this eight-day trip in total autonomy, and we did it with a smile on our face! Congratulations gang! You are heroes and you have carved a special place in my heart.

We paddle past the wharf of the Havre. Sylvie and hospital employees are there to greet us. They congratulate us, as they know what we have just been through. We are in frenzy. One last rallying cry and we bring everything back to Agaguk’s!

After a well-deserved shower, we return to the Inn, our home for the next two days. Whatever is wet, which is pretty much everything, is put to dry. Éric has made a delicious couscous, which we enjoy together around the same table where, eight days ago, we had our breakfast before leaving the Inn on our expedition.

Finally, it’s guitar time, and we hold a group sing-along on the beach with Jeff. We will use the next two days to “unwind” before returning to reality. We make good use of every moment, before going our separate ways.

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