Guimauve

Beluga

ligne décoration

Adopted by Le Groupe-Conseil SM

  • ID number

    DL0041

  • Sex

    Female

  • Year of birth

    Before 1970

  • Known Since

    1986

Distinctive traits

Guimauve has two large concave circular markings on her right flank, in front of her crest, making her easy to recognize.

Life history

First observed in 1986, Guimauve was completely white. She was therefore born before 1970.

A biopsy confirmed Guimauve’s sex : female. A piece of skin and fat taken from her back enabled us to carry out a genetic analysis. Guimauve has never been seen in the Saguenay Fjord. She is thought to be part of the female community on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River.

On September 8, 1987, we saw Guimauve accompanied by a young grey beluga aged 2 or 3. The aggregation was near Île Blanche off the town of Cacouna. One of the clues to determining the sex of a beluga is its association with a newborn calf. However, researchers must repeatedly observe the same adult swimming with the calf, as the young are often accompanied by different adults on the same day. The long-term observation of Guimauve with a calf led us to believe that it was a female and possibly a mother. Later, genetic analysis of a piece of skin and fat confirmed that Guimauve is indeed a female.

Regularly seen with...

Observations history in the Estuary

1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999

Years in which the animal was not observed Years in which the animal was observed

Latest news

Early in the morning, at around 7 a.m., we came across a herd of some 50 individuals near Baie-des-Rochers, off Saint-Siméon in Charlevoix. Guimauve is one of a group of good-sized white belugas heading for Île Blanche, off the coast of Cacouna. The herd is very scattered and starting to disintegrate. We eventually leave the area, having lost sight of all the individuals in the herd.

The last sighting of a Guimauve was over fifteen years ago. Is she dead? Has she remained invisible to the eye of the researcher all this time? One thing’s for sure, her story remains a valuable source of information that helps us to better understand this fragile population.

Sponsor

Le Groupe-Conseil SM adopted Guimauve (1988).