Humpbacks, seals and belugas

Harbour seals and grey seals have been regularly observed in Gaspé Bay, at least when their presence is not overshadowed by minke whales or a few humpbacks offshore. In Grande-Vallée, a blast is spotted by a marine mammal enthusiast: “We caught a glimpse of a whale spout this Monday in Grande-Vallée, but never actually saw the animal. There was considerable chop, so we were unable to identify the species with certainty!”

On the morning of September 17, photographer and naturalist Renaud Pintiaux had the chance to observe a humpback whale breach no fewer than 14 times. The next day, during another productive outing with marine mammals, Renaud crosses paths with a humpback and a fin whale offshore, not to mention harbour seals on the rocks. He also describes his encounter with two white whales: “It was really something to see two star belugas side by side near Cap de Bon-Désir – Pascolio and Néo – both of which show major spinal deformities.”

Pascolio has been known to GREMM since 1985, at which time she was two or three years old and still dark grey. Today, she belongs to the Saguenay community of females. The major deformities of her spine and the presence of a scar make her easy to recognize.

In Saint-Siméon, a humpback whale has been present for several days now, much to the delight of local residents who are enchanted by the observation of this magnificent creature. Between Les Bergeronnes and Les Escoumins, approximately 5 humpbacks, minke whales, harbour seals, harbour porpoises, a group of 50 white-sided dolphins and a fin whale have been reported.

There’s no shortage of sightings in the estuary, either: “Last Monday, on our way to Rimouski,” explains one observer, “we came across an area chock full of marine mammals: grey seals, belugas, porpoises and even dolphins. They were everywhere.” In Franquelin, it is mainly minke whales and seals that have been observed.

At the marina in Baie-des-Sables, an early morning walker is lucky enough to spot a few belugas. He shares his experience: “While I was out for my morning stroll on the “rosebush” trail in Baie-des-Sables when I saw a small pod of belugas about 100 metres from shore. It was a choreography that lasted more than 30 minutes. That’s the first time I ever saw belugas so close. It was an indescribable joy that I savoured with amazement and awe.”

These data were reported by our network of observers. The observations give a rough idea of the presence of whales, but do not in any way represent the true distribution of cetaceans in the St. Lawrence. Enjoy!

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