John A. Macdonald
Beluga
Adopted by the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald
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ID number
DL0053
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Sex
Male
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Year of birth
Around 1984
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Known Since
1989
Distinctive traits
John A. Macdonald is recognizable by the multiple, closely-spaced scars on his left flank. His crest has enough notches of various shapes and sizes to confirm his identity from both flanks.
Life history
First observed in 1989, John A. Macdonald was gray. From 1998 onwards, he was always recorded as white. He was born around 1984.
John A. Macdonald’s sex was confirmed by biopsy : he is a male. He is part of one of two networks of males in the Saguenay fjord and its mouth.
In summer, John A. Macdonald frequents the Saguenay Fjord and its mouth as far as Les Escoumins. In winter, along with the rest of the population, he moves to the downstream part of the estuary and the northern part of the Gulf. In spring, the population spreads from the Gaspé Peninsula to the Charlevoix region, via the south shore of the estuary.
Observations history in the Estuary
Years in which the animal was not observed Years in which the animal was observed
Latest news
Since 1 pm, the Bleuvet has been 2 nautical miles off Les Bergeronnes, photo-identifying beluga whales. A herd of 60 individuals surrounds the research boat. Among the belugas, we recognize John A. Macdonald and Coeur. The herd is mostly composed of white adults, but a dozen belugas are still young grays. The animals swim upriver.
Nearly an hour of observation later, three groups of around 15 individuals come together to form a supergroup that stretches into a long line of belugas. Their vocalizations even reach our ears.
At 3.15 pm, the sun declines, since it’s already November. The darkness that will soon set in forces us to end our contact and return to port.
We pass a herd of some sixty individuals at the mouth of the fjord. John A. Macdonald swims in the company of several well-known animals, including Blanche and Miss Frontenac. The herd is made up of adults, calves and three newborns. The animals make their way slowly towards Sainte-Marguerite Bay.
Sponsor
The Fairmont Hotel Macdonald adopted John A. Macdonald (2001).