Percé Rock in Pink

 

We got to Percé at the eastern tip of the St. Lawrence just before dark. You can see a little pink in the rock, reflected from the pink sky in the west.

The Percé Rock (“Le Rocher Percé“) is the most famous feature on Gaspésie. The arch is one of the largest arches in the world over water. Christiane and I saw a similar sized arch in New Zealand on the North Island where our motor boat traversed through the arch in disconcertingly rough waters. Currently, the arch is large enough that a small boat could pass through during low tide.

Percé Rock is a huge sheer rock formation in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence on the tip of the Gaspé Peninsula 433 metres (1,421 ft) long, 90 metres (300 ft) wide, and 88 metres (289 ft) high, with an arch 15 metres (49 ft) high on its southern end).

At one time there was a second arch where there now is a gap between the big rock and the smaller obelisk rock on the right? It was there when Jacques Cartier “discovered” it in 1534. He actually reported that there were 3 arches, but there is some doubt about that. Some have claimed there used to be 4 arches, but evidence for that is not strong. The last of the arches in any event collapsed on June 17th, 1845 due to severe erosion, leaving one arch and a separate island.

But if you want to see the arch you’d best go soon. According to scientists, erosion will lead to the destruction of the last arch in about 400 years and in fact the entire rock will vanish in about 16,000 years.

 

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