H943

Spotted and identified by the GREMM team on June 30, 2026, H943 is the fourth humpback whale identified in the Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park this year! During this encounter, the GREMM team observed it making “big bubbles,” a feeding and hunting technique that appears to be unique to humpback whales. H943 took only one or two breaths before diving, producing a circle of bubbles. The team could even see large schools of prey moving underwater! Nicknamed “Fireworks” locally, H943 has a partially black tail fin dotted with white streaks that resemble fireworks. A pale white mark, featuring a distinct black star, adorns its right lobe. The back of its dorsal fin features a notch and a white line. This summer, H943 was often observed resting or moving calmly, particularly alongside H944 or H857, who were swimming nearby. However, its behavior has recently been described as “explosive”: H943 performed repeated breaches as well as pectoral fin slaps! On July 28, after a nap, H943 also engaged in lobtailing—lifting its tailstock and caudal fin into the air before slapping them vigorously against the water’s surface. Potentially a form of competition among males to attract the attention of females, play, or social interaction, lobtailing has previously been observed in a feeding context. Known as “kickfeeding,” this deafening slap of the tail fin may help herd prey; however, many mysteries still surround this behavior! The Mingan Islands Research Station (MICS), for its part, has observed H943 only once in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, in the Gaspé area, on August 13, 2025.