Field Season Debut and the Return of Two Stars: Tic Tac Toe and Ti-Croche!

In the late afternoon of June 13, with practically the whole River to ourselves, we spent some time with two humpbacks: Tic Tac Toe and… an animal that appears to be a first-year calf! Is it hers? This Marine Park star will undoubtedly be spotted again soon, which should help confirm whether or not she is the rightful mother!

The River was like a sheet of glass; weather and lighting conditions were ideal. Tic Tac Toe was the first humpback I encountered in… 1999. She was tiny, just two years old. And seeing her every year for 22 years, often with calves, represents an indescribable happiness. I think you can guess then how I feel when sharing these couple of photos with you. I would also like to show you this first photo of Tic Tac Toe, which I took in 1999 near Île Rouge.

June 14, another splendid day out at sea. 
A second “star” has arrived in the area: the fin whale Ti-Croche, a.k.a. Bp955! Its late mother, Capitaine Crochet (page in French only), was well known here in the Haute-Côte-Nord region. I have many fond memories of my sightings of Crochet. Ti-Croche took over for several years as a symbol of hope and the future. Born during the winter of 2008-2009, this 12-year-old fin whale is a regular visitor to the St. Lawrence. And it was not alone today, but rather part of a very active quartet of fin whales.

I’m also sharing photos of minke whales and a razorbill with a nice catch in its beak!