Whales and Calves

Interestingly, Tic Tac Toe also became a grandmother this winter. Her first calf, Aramis , was photographed with a newborn off the Turks and Caicos Islands. Will we witness a family reunion this summer? Stay tuned!

That same day, Renaud also noticed a fin whale calf accompanied by three adults. He manages to photograph two of them: Bp059, a.k.a. “Trou” and Bp955, a.k.a. “Ti-Croche”. Although we know that Trou is a female, the sex of Ti-Croche remains unknown. To find out who gave birth to a given calf, we would have to have repeat observations of the two whales together and/or obtain a genetic analysis from a tiny fat sample.

Two cetacean species give birth in the St. Lawrence in summer: belugas and harbour porpoises. Some harbour porpoise calves were spotted this week, both in the Gaspé Peninsula and on the North Shore (Côte-Nord). A mother harbour porpoise will nurse and care for her young for 8 to 12 months. Remarkable factoid: female harbour porpoises can be pregnant and nurse at the same time! Talk about a physical investment!

For belugas, the first newborns are usually seen during the last week of June or the first of July. Nursing is believed to last between 6 and 24 months, while maternal care can sometimes last up to 3 years! In belugas, there is also a significant investment of effort by females other than the mother, which is referred to as allomaternal behaviour.

Calving in the middle of the boating season comes with its share of challenges. Imagine giving birth in the middle of the highway. Stressful, wouldn’t you think? If you do go out on the water, be particularly vigilant for the presence of whales resting on the surface or swimming with young. To show good stewardship toward whales, it is important to maintain a respectful distance from them.

Where were dozens of other whales seen this past week? Just for fun, take a look at the observation map and get a glimpse of just how rich life in the St. Lawrence is.