Discover the St. Lawrence River: Top 11 Unique and Fascinating Facts You Never Knew!

1. Fish Scaling Elevations

Why did the fish scale the St. Lawrence River? To get to the other tide, of course! Hopping between Lake Ontario and Montreal, the St. Lawrence River plunges a staggering 226 feet in elevation: meaning it's not just your average swimway, but also a vital geological and economic powerhouse that boasts an impressive man-made Seaway and keeps goods flowing across the Great Lakes system.
Source => glc.org

2. Island-Counting Headache

Whoever counted the Thousand Islands must have had a splitting headache: the St. Lawrence River is brimming with over 1,800 islands and islets peppering its archipelago near Lake Ontario.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

Discover nature's mesmerizing kaleidoscope river, Cano Cristales, in Colombia! Witness its breathtaking transformation into a colorful spectacle with red, yellow, green, and blue hues – all thanks to the unique aquatic plant Macarenia clavigera and the sun's warmth. Uncover the secret behind this enchanting phenomenon!

=> Fun Facts about Rivers

3. Time-Traveling Saint River

Navigating the St. Lawrence River proved Jacques Cartier wasn't just a pretty face: In the 16th century, he uncovered the bounty of the once presumed barren land, ultimately leading to the French claiming the St. Lawrence Valley in the 17th century. He named the river after Saint Lawrence of Rome, though last we checked, neither saints nor rivers were adept at time travel.
Source => history.com

4. Poseidon's Fishing Net

Picture Poseidon as a fisherman with a mighty net, casting it through the vast waters of North America, then reeling in a stupendous catch: Behold, the St. Lawrence River stretches over 700 miles, connecting Lake Ontario to the Atlantic Ocean, sustaining a cornucopia of finned delicacies, and offering an all-you-can-reel adventure for fishing enthusiasts from rookies to seasoned pros!
Source => dec.ny.gov

5. Meteorite Party Crasher

Once upon a time when shooting stars were celestial party crashers: the St. Lawrence River was home to a confederacy of villages, thriving and jiving along its banks, until a blazing meteorite hit one of the villages, stirring up chaos and wars, ultimately dismantling the riverside harmony. And yet, through the test of time, the St. Lawrence River maintained its status as the trade hotspot and a key player in history, showing an admirable aquatic bounce-back game.
Source => wampumchronicles.com

6. Frosty River Traffic Guard

The Not-So Fast and the Frosty: When the winter months hit the St. Lawrence River, Mother Nature goes Method acting – ice cover takes the role of traffic guard, stalling the speeding flood waters and current into a slow, deliberate crawl! Brought into existence with the St. Lawrence Seaway and Moses-Saunders Dam in the 1950s, this cleverly crafted scene reduces Lake Ontario's outflows just in time to prevent devastating ice jams and costly infrastructural damages.
Source => ijc.org

7. Aquatic Cargo Highway

Like an aquatic highway jam-packed with oversized loads, the St. Lawrence River knows how to keep the traffic flowing between Canada and the land of stars, stripes, and apple pies: More than 50 million tons of cargo cruise through its watery labyrinth of locks and channels every year, making it one of the busiest inland seaways in North America.
Source => britannica.com

8. Fintastic Underwater Neighborhood

A fin-tastic underwater neighborhood: The St. Lawrence River boasts a lively community of over 100 different fishy residents! Although infiltrated by the pesky zebra mussel, causing billions in damages, the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Sustainable Water Resources Agreement is working tirelessly to keep the ecosystem swimmingly healthy.
Source => nationalgeographic.org

9. Scenic Route for Colossal Ships

Eager to avoid traffic jams, colossal ships take the scenic route: The St. Lawrence Seaway, a 3,700-kilometer marvel of 15 locks, canals, and navigable channels, lets oceangoing vessels cruise from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, only setting them back a mere C$470 million in construction costs.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

10. Prohibition Smuggler's Haven

If you thought the St. Lawrence River was just for leisurely boat cruises and picturesque Instagram posts, think again: This beautiful 1000 Islands region, renowned for its posh vacation spots, once played an unsinkable role in the U.S. Prohibition era as a smuggler's haven for illegal alcohol, with private island mansions acting as stealthy hideaways for boozy contraband.
Source => visit1000islands.com

11. Confusing Island Math

Sailing through a confusing math problem on your next vacation: The Thousand Islands National Park in the Saint Lawrence River actually consists of just 21 islands and numerous smaller islets! These geological wonders are the remnants of ancient mountains that linked the Canadian Shield with the Adirondack Mountains, and are now part of the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve - where you'll find Canada's greatest biodiversity on display.
Source => en.wikipedia.org