The mintage is limited to 25,000. The coin is based on an image by Canadian nature photographer Claude Belanger and captures an idyllic scene along the water's edge in New Brunswick. The application of colour over the detailed engraving recreates the life-like qualities of the original photograph, in which a great blue heron stands in the shallow water. Partially shielded by the dried grass and reeds that line the riverbank, the side-profile view showcases the long-legged bird's pointed beak, its striking blue-grey plumage, and the longer feathers on its head, wings and chest. The obverse features the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt.