Conferon Connie

Beluga

ligne décoration

Adopted by Conferon Incorporated

  • ID number

    DL0144

  • Sex

    Female

  • Year of birth

    Around 1983

  • Known Since

    1990

Distinctive traits

The two small scars close together just in front of her dorsal crest are Conferon Connie’s signature. There are also two small notches in his crest, one of which appeared later, between 1999 and 2003.

Life history

We first met Conferon Connie in 1990. At the time, she was gray. When we met her in 2007, she was slightly grey. In 2015, she was all white. The colour change in beluga whales, from grey to white, occurs between the ages of 12 and 16. Conferon Connie is believed to have been born around 1983.

The sex of Conferon Connie is confirmed by genetic analysis of a biopsy taken from her back; she is a female. She is a member of the female community on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River.

In the summer, the females form large communities where they care for newborns and young. These communities are attached to traditional territories and there is little exchange between them. The South Shore area, so far, had little exposure to shipping noise. The islands located in the centre of the estuary, such as Ile Blanche, create a sound screen for the habitat of females accompanied by young along the south shore.

Regularly seen with...

Observations history in the Estuary

1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021

Years in which the animal was not observed Years in which the animal was observed

Latest news

We observe Conferon Connie in a herd of around 40 belugas on August 21, 2007. It’s near Blanche Island, a popular birding spot, particularly for a large colony of common eiders. The island lies off the coast of the town of Cacouna. Within the flock, there are some entirely white individuals, others slightly gray, some dark gray and finally, some small “café au lait”. They include adults, juveniles, youngsters and at least one newborn. The herd as a whole is not very active. They are separated into small groups of two to three individuals, some in billotage and others swimming alone as Conferon Connie does. Our team on the water is thrilled to see this female beluga again after a four-year absence! She’s changed since then : she’s plumper and her coat color has faded from gray to light gray. Towards the end of the observation, a female well known to our team, Miss Frontenac, comes swimming under the research boat with two young grey animals.

Sponsor

Conferon Incorporated  adopted Conferon Connie (2000).