On February 4, a resident in the Godbout region on the North Shore captures on film the tail of a humpback whale. He sends this photo to the Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals (GREMM) team in the hope that the individual might be “unmasked”, as the tails of humpbacks are not only their means of locomotion, but also their “face”. The photo passes from the GREMM team to the Mingan Island Cetacean Study (MICS), which manages the catalogue of St. Lawrence humpbacks, but to no avail; the giant’s identity remains a mystery.

Recognizing whales consists of meticulously scrutinizing photos taken under ideal conditions. This is called photo-identification. Photos are carefully analyzed, compared to those of several individuals and then matched according to a set of rigorous criteria. One of the individual “signatures” of humpback whales is the black-and-white colour pattern on the underside of their tail. In blue whales, the skin is a unique mosaic composed of various shades of blue. For other species, distinctions are more subtle and may include the shape of the dorsal fin, marbling, skin imperfections, scarring and deformities. Computers can be useful for accelerating and facilitating photo processing, but in the end, it’s always the human eye that has the final word! Over the years, this exercise has become second nature for researchers. At sea, they instantly recognize many individuals, who are like old companions to them. The humpback seen recently in Godbout may be a newcomer. A MICS researcher suggests that it may be a young individual.

Elsewhere in the St. Lawrence, it’s mainly harp seals that have been grabbing the attention of our collaborators: sometimes in small groups in the water, as in Franquelin, sometimes by the hundreds on the pack ice, as in Sept-Îles.

Observation of the Week - 16/2/2017

Marie-Sophie Giroux

Marie-Sophie Giroux joined the GREMM in 2005 until 2018. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Marine Biology and a diploma in Environmental Consulting. As Lead Naturalist, she oversees and coordinates the team working at the Marine Mammal Interpretation Centre and writes for Whales Online and Whale Portraits. She loves to share “whale stories” with visitors to the CIMM and readers alike.

Recommended articles

After a week of strong winds, we’re eagerly waiting for fairer weather!

Marine mammals were quiet this past week. Did the stiff winds drive them away, or were they simply less visible?…

|Observation of the Week 22/5/2025

A Breath of Spring: Humpbacks are Back

Humpback whales are making their return to the estuary this week, much to the delight of the locals. Additionally, the…

|Observation of the Week 15/5/2025

Marine wildlife bounty for may

Our beloved river has recently been oscillating between mirror-calm waters and those stirred up by bone-chilling gusts. Pouring rain gives…

|Observation of the Week 7/5/2025