A Mother-Calf Duo and Sperm Whales in the Estuary

“Such a mysterious and fascinating creature,” describes a naturalist and wildlife photographer with regard to the sperm whales that ventured into the estuary last Wednesday. The last time this species was photographed in the vicinity of the Marine Park was in 2021. In 2023, two large males were spotted near Sept-Îles, but didn’t seem to have ventured any farther up the St. Lawrence. This year, the whales surfaced off the Tadoussac dunes, their dorsal humps sticking out of the water and their slanted blows spraying off to the side with each breath.

On July 11, the female blue whale B260, first documented by GREMM in 1992, was spotted with a calf off the small islands known as Islets Boisés. The last time a mother-calf pair was recorded in the estuary was in 2022, when Jaw-Breaker (B246) was spotted with a calf off Cap de Bon-Désir. The female blue whale Chameau (B103), known since 1991 and recognizable by her abnormally curved spine, was also observed recently.

Indeed, observers have enjoyed their share of unusual sightings this past week! Humpback whales H742 and H944 have joined the other individuals already present in the area for several days now, not to mention the fin and minke whales still lingering in the Marine Park sector. Belugas have been regularly observed in the mouth of the Saguenay Fjord and off Île-aux-Lièvres and Saint-Irénée, while grey and harbour seals were seen between Les Escoumins and Tadoussac.

In Baie-Johan-Beetz, a marine mammal enthusiast shares one of her sightings: “I had to be patient, but I finally got to see some porpoises last Friday.” A river otter was also swimming nearby. Near Baie-Comeau, one resident spotted a few harbour porpoises and several minke whales. However, he notes that apart from these sightings, things have been “very quiet.” Perhaps the cetaceans have found other places to feed en route to our waters? From May to October, the whales that frequent the St. Lawrence River do so to feed. Depending on the species, they move in search of various fish and krill to sink their teeth—or baleen!—into.

In the cove known as Anse aux Cousins ​​and at the Petit-Gaspé haul-out, harbour seals have been active along the shorelines. Grey seals have also been present. One kayaker recounts what she saw… and heard: “We saw scores of harbour seals at the Petit-Gaspé haul-out, including many pups. Several seals were even squabbling over the best rocks! We also observed a few grey seals howling, reminding us of their [French] nickname: ‘sea wolves.’”

Humpback whales were reported in Gaspé Bay, as were a few basking sharks. Among them were the humpbacks Paloma (H692) and H1032, both of which were identified by MICS. In Chaleur Bay, another humpback was reported: “We were able to observe a humpback whale accompanied by a minke whale,” points out one of the locals.

Where are the whales this week? Sightings map

These data were reported by our network of observers. They give an idea of the presence of whales and in no way represent the actual distribution of whales in the St. Lawrence. Just for fun!

Click on the whale or seal icons to discover the species, the number of individuals, additional information or photos of the sighting. To enlarge the map, click on the icon in the top right-hand corner. The map works well on Chrome and Firefox, but not so well on Safari.

To display the list of sightings, click on the icon in the top left-hand corner.

Thanks to all our collaborators!

• Croisières Baie de Gaspé
• Marie-Ève Carignan
• Marie-Andrée Charlebois
• Nathalie Cliche
• Olivier Cloutier
• Thalia Cohen Bacry
• Guylaine Côté
• Laeticia Desbordes
• Pierre Harisson
• Jade-Audrey Lavergne
• Raynald Lavoie
• Jessica Michaud
• Camille Némond
• Diane Ostiguy
• Sandrine Papias
• Pascal Pitre
• Renaud Pintiaux
• René Roy
• Guillaume Savard
• Andréanne Sylvain
• Marielle Vanasse

And to all the others!

Additionally, we would like to acknowledge the following teams that also share their sightings:

Centre d’éducation et de recherche de Sept-Îles (CERSI)
Station de recherche des Îles Mingan (MICS)
Réseau d’observation des mammifères marins (ROMM)
Réseau québécois d’urgences pour les mammifères marins (RQUMM)
Groupe de recherche et d’éducation sur les mammifères marins (GREMM)
Mériscope