Anticosti Island, Provincial Wildlife Reserve in Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada
Anticosti is an island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence in Quebec, extending 220 kilometers in length and roughly 50 kilometers in width. Limestone cliffs line the coast, while the interior holds deep canyons, numerous lakes, and expansive forests.
French chocolate manufacturer Henri Menier purchased the entire island in 1895 and transformed it into a private hunting preserve. He introduced white-tailed deer, which multiplied rapidly over the following decades and altered the local ecosystem.
The Innu named the island Notiskuan, a term referring to bear hunting that reflects its earlier significance for indigenous peoples. The Mi'kmaq used the name Natigostec, meaning forward land, which describes its geographic position in the gulf.
Access is through Port-Menier Airport or by boat, with the island's only settlement offering basic accommodations. Visitors should prepare for rough weather and bring sufficient supplies, as infrastructure is limited.
The limestone formations preserve fossils from the first global mass extinction roughly 445 million years ago. These exceptional geological records led to recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2023.
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