News

Though only discovered in 2021, the Rice’s whale (Balaenoptera ricei) is one of the most endangered whales in the world.…

Long before the whales that we know and love roamed the seas of the planet, many different creatures lurked in…

A year-round resident of the St. Lawrence, the beluga inspires admiration. With their ever-smirky facial expressions, belugas have become one…

Are we witnessing the return of the right whale to its ancestral territory? For the past ten years plus, North…

Since time immemorial, a mysterious creature has been said to reside in the waters of one of the largest of…

Sharks are often imagined as ruthless predators. This extreme representation obscures the complex truth of these marine animals, which are…

What if the future of cetacean protection no longer relied solely on humans, but also on artificial intelligence? In the…

Not all orcas (Orcanus orca) are the same! Did you know that there are currently a dozen different subspecies? Orcas…

Every summer, fin whales come to the nutrient-rich waters of the St. Lawrence to feed, only to leave at the…

The endangered St. Lawrence beluga needs your help to recover. For several years, the Group for Research and Education on…

Cetaceans could be the new stars of vocal rhythm research. A recent study provides the reasons behind why these species…

The 2024 Gala de la Terre was a huge success! The third edition of this major event took place at…

How do we know whether or not the whales of the St. Lawrence are doing well? This is the mission…

What if, for one evening, belugas were to become choir singers? Thanks to a composition by Claudie Bertounesque, which will…

Parasite. A word that often sends shivers down our spines. However, marine mammals are highly accustomed to them. Cetaceans and…

The migrations of large rorquals still hold many mysteries. Where do they go in winter? How long do they stay…

An article published a few weeks ago relates an unexpected interaction between two male humpback whales. Indeed, the two bulls…

Hunted, threatened, decimated. The largest of giants suffered greatly at the hands of humans throughout the 20th century and is…

To work with whales, Meredith’s journey took her to California, Michigan, Scotland, and ultimately to Quebec! Meredith Sherrill is a…

Have you ever wondered why speed limits are imposed in certain shipping areas? Part of the answer can be summed…

Each in their own way, every species on our planet must cope with the impacts of human actions, paving way…

World Whale Day is the perfect opportunity to make some big announcements for belugas! Thanks to a new census method,…

When she was just 11 years old, Jade-Audrey already knew she wanted to work with cetaceans. Years later, her childhood…

Élizabeth, research assistant for the Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals (GREMM), has been photographing belugas since May…

Are sperm whales really as solitary as we think? The answer might surprise you. Indeed, you probably would have never…

* As of January 29, 2024, the total number of calves born was 16. An exceptional event was observed a…

The holiday season is the perfect time to immerse yourself in stories about marine mammals and relax in front of…

The recovery of the small community of southern resident killer whales – estimated at around 75 individuals – is hanging…

In Shark Bay, Western Australia, a subset of the bottlenose dolphin population displays remarkable ingenuity. When foraging, they cover their…

According to a study published in Current Biology, females in the small community of southern resident killer whales invest their…

Imagine 150 cars piled on top of one another like a mountain. Sounds impressive, doesn’t it? But hold on: it…

How do young belugas benefit from alloparental care? This is a question that Jaclyn Aubin and her colleagues tried to…

Now that we’ve discussed human bias in the study of animal intelligence, let’s explore in this second part the different…

Did you know that the octopus is able to solve puzzles and to dream? That pigs show signs of empathy?…

Undeniably, today’s environment is undergoing rapid, irreversible and radical transformations. Being entirely subject to the laws of natural selection, whales…

A 2014 BBC documentary showed a pod of dolphins playing with a pufferfish, prodding and grabbing it with their beaks…

In a context where environmental concerns are at the center of discussions, it seems difficult to navigate through the different…

The Mediterranean Sea is home to a unique population of fin whales that has evolved separately from the North Atlantic…

Echolocation is used by several animals such as bats, dolphins, toothed whales and some nocturnal birds. This technique allows animals…

The question of how relevant and ethical (or unethical!) animal establishments such as zoos and aquariums are is highly debatable.…

Ever heard of Peto’s paradox? The latter states that the probability of developing cancer is unrelated to the number of…

Ever heard of the mysterious and legendary achikunipi, as this animal is known to the Cree? Or the qasigiaq, the…

You’ve probably heard this question more than once since the start of the season! Our team therefore felt it might…

A beluga ironically named Hvaldimir – Hval for “whale” in Norwegian – was first seen in 2019 off the coast…

Why is the Strait of Gibraltar killer whale subpopulation increasingly interacting with boats? How did this behaviour originate? These are…

From an emotional standpoint, the world of conservation can often be quite difficult to navigate. Through our own activities, the…

“First time ever,” “extraordinary,” “record...” After a while, observers describing the 2021 whale-watching season in the estuary began to run…

In 1988, the International Forum for the Future of the Beluga was held. Just five years earlier, in 1983, the…

Whether it’s by reporting your sightings or volunteering with a conservation organization, there’s no wrong way to get involved with…

Since every little gesture counts when it comes to safeguarding the environment, the Whales Online team presents five actions that…

Between entanglements in fishing gear, ship strikes and climate change, the past few decades have been rough for the North…

In the thrilling journey of a young beluga in search of his grandfather, the animated film Katak the Brave Beluga,…

July 13, 2021. Several large spouts erupt off the coast of Sept-Îles. One, two, three blasts. Four, then seven, then…

Although drones are useful tools for conducting marine mammal research, it is legitimate to wonder what impact they may have…

Over the past several years, the novel field of ropeless fishing has been expanding thanks to the research and development…

Many species of whales have left the St. Lawrence for the winter. Observing these cetaceans in the flesh in the…

Since 2015, an uptick in the presence of North Atlantic right whales has been observed in the Gulf of St.…

Thirty years ago, the fossil of an Atlantic grey whale (Eschrichtius robustus) was misidentified as a humpback whale. The latter…

In December 2021, scientists felt a glimmer of hope when Snow Cone was spotted with a newborn, despite the fact…

With the growing popularity of drones, it is increasingly common to see spectacular images of cetaceans. From herds of migrating…

For scientists, the endangered North Atlantic right whale is a source of both fascination and concern. This is why a…

Every year, between 15 and 20 beluga carcasses are found and recovered along the shores of the St. Lawrence. Why…

Ever since the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park was created in 1998, a large number of protective measures have been put…

On both shores of the St. Lawrence, many folks are concerned about the paucity of whales observed in the river…

Problems related to plastic garbage in our oceans and waterways have been with us for many years now. What’s more,…

For over a week now, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has been attempting to locate a North Atlantic right whale…

Despite the 1979 ban on commercial whaling that decimated the St. Lawrence beluga and the implementation of numerous protection measures,…

From November to April, North Atlantic right whales give birth to their calves in the warm waters off Florida and…

On Thursday, March 10, Fisheries and Oceans Canada announced the protection measures that will be put in place this year…

The rorqual family includes the largest animals on the planet. In order to satisfy their gargantuan energy needs by gulping…

The Marine Mammal Interpretation Centre (CIMM) is coming to you! Our collection of cetacean skeletons – the only one of…

It is widely known that some animal species, including humans and bonobos, engage in sexual activity outside of their breeding…

Underwater noise is a major issue in the protection St. Lawrence belugas, which rely on sound to find their way,…

North Atlantic right whales are one of the most vulnerable cetacean species on the planet. With less than 350 individuals…

One of the most critically endangered cetacean species in the world, the North Atlantic right whale has been under close…

Field observations are not the only way to discover new animal species. Through lab analyses of preserved skeletons and samples,…

On Monday, November 15, 2021 at 2:30 p.m., a press conference was held in Cacouna to announce the Government of Quebec’s…

The North Atlantic right whale population is down to approximately 350 individuals and is critically endangered. The recovery of this…

As predators, fin whales are considered generalists, capable of hunting and feeding on a variety of prey ranging from zooplankton…

The tusk of the narwhal – a long spiral-shaped tooth that can measure nearly 3 metres long – makes a…

As Halloween approaches, horror stories abound! Amongst sources of inspiration for spooky legends, the ocean has always been a great…

Biologist Valeria Vergara has always assumed that newborn belugas produce very soft vocalizations, making them particularly vulnerable to underwater noise.…

As the autumn foliage grows brighter and the days grow colder, the humpback whales in Canadian waters are slowly beginning…

This year, the Eco-Whale Alliance is celebrating its 10th anniversary! Established by sea excursion companies, GREMM, Sépaq and Parks Canada,…

Much like humans, killer whales can’t choose their family, but they can at least decide which of their little cousins ​​they want…

Are you familiar with beaked whales? If the answer is “no”, you are probably not alone. Even researchers know relatively…

Since 2013, the southern resident killer whale population has been exhibiting unusual behaviours that are worrying scientists. Strangely enough, this…

You don’t always need to see whales live to fall under their charm. Thanks to the selection of books (all…

We’ve known that North Atlantic right whales are less and less abundant, with a population currently estimated to number fewer…

As early as the 1980s, whale song research pioneer Roger Payne stated that “It is inconceivable that such rapid and…

In the context of environmental assessments of development projects in the St. Lawrence, the issue of cumulative effects is often…

Cultural transmission is a widely-accepted hypothesis within the scientific community to explain the movement and transformation of humpback whale songs through space…

For the first time ever, data on whale incidents in eastern Canada has been compiled in a single report. Produced…

In the documentary The Loneliest Whale: The Search for 52, a group of scientists sets out to find a whale…

What if we could observe the different stages of evolution that a species has undergone by studying a single individual?…

Perched atop a tower in the middle of Baie Sainte-Marguerite, Jaclyn Aubin peered down on belugas for two summers (2017…

Rarely studied in Quebec, porpoises were recently the focus of a study on feeding behaviours. Using drones, researchers at the…

Tadoussac’s Marine Mammal Interpretation Centre (CIMM) will open its doors on June 7. After months in the dark, the fifteen…

From June 1 to 8, 2021, the first Quebec edition of Ocean Week will take place. Orchestrated by the environmental…

The Marine Mammal Observation Network (MMON), the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) and the St. Lawrence Global Observatory (SLGO)…

In the presence of watercraft, blue whales reduce both the duration and depth of their dives. A recent simulation-based study…

To underscore her concern for wildlife conservation and especially for belugas, singer Pomme chose to write a tune about these…

On Tuesday, May 11, a major release operation was attempted to come to the aid of Snow Cone, a North…

Determining the age of a wild beluga is quite a challenge. So when American researchers announce that they are developing…

If we truly want to protect whales – and other species as well for that matter – biologists must understand…

They love. They mourn. They play. They share. Whales live in complex societies, each with its own culture. This is…

When the United Nations launches a theme, it’s not merely symbolic. From 2021 to 2030, the theme will be the…

When researchers placed a camera on the back of a humpback whale, they probably weren’t expecting an hour-long video during…

Itching to set sail in search of marine mammals? Virtual experiences are available thanks to the following list of podcasts…

In the span of just a few weeks, two North Atlantic right whale carcasses were discovered off the coast of…

Around the globe, many people are concerned by the plight of cetaceans. February 19 is the international day dedicated to…

From tourism to geography, Mélissa Tremblay’s career path ultimately led her to the Group for Research and Education on Marine…

Signs of affection, saying “I love you” and showing it with sweet gestures. Such is the essence of Valentine’s Day.…

The number of fin whales frequenting the Gulf of St. Lawrence that bear entanglement marks and scars is much higher…

The environment of cetaceans in the St. Lawrence Estuary and Gulf is changing. Peter Galbraith, physical oceanographer at Fisheries and…

Looking for a getaway? Here’s a chance to do just that. The 15th edition of Whale Tales will be held…

The fin whale Bp955, a.k.a. “Ti-Croche”, has just revealed precious secrets on the migratory movements of its species. On October…

Belugas live in remarkably complex societies with very diverse relationships, so much so that they might be considered closer to…

New observations of blue whales have been made in the waters of the Arabian Sea and in the northwestern corner…

Frequenting British Columbia waters, the southern resident killer whale population is estimated to number approximately 72 individuals. On January 14, the…

GREMM Lead Technician Michel Moisan has a strong interest in electronics combined with a keen analytical talent to quickly identify…

The breeding season for North Atlantic right whales is in full swing. As of January 22, 2021, 17 healthy calves…

In 2020, a fossil dating from the Oligocene was studied in South Carolina by a US research team. The fossil…

Imagine that your dining room, your bedroom and your child’s day care were constantly being driven through by high-speed vehicles.…

The 2020 holiday season will come with its share of challenges, just like the periods of adaptation that we all…

Because they live in water and must constantly dive to forage or to move, cetaceans have developed a great number…

The video of two kayakers getting caught in the mouth of a humpback has been viewed around the world. Off…

Until recently, researchers still spoke of a population of some 400 North Atlantic right whales. But new estimates released last…

Fisheries and Oceans Canada is organizing a public consultation on the impact of noise in Canada’s oceans, and you are…

The existence of hybrids resulting from the cross between the two largest animals in the world – the fin whale…

Just how contaminated are the belugas of the St. Lawrence? This very question became the research topic of Antoine Simond…

It may seem surprising, but up until a few months ago, the diet of the St. Lawrence beluga was not…

Every so often, a solitary whale makes headlines. It might be a beluga seen off the coast San Diego, California,…

The first two residents of a whale sanctuary have now been swimming in Klettsvik Bay since August 8, 2020. Belugas…

Once again this summer, Baie Sainte-Marguerite will be closed to navigation from June 21 to September 21. Since 2018, navigation…

Like thousands of other pleasure boaters, do you enjoy taking advantage of warm summer days to operate your craft in…

Normally, whale experts up and down the St. Lawrence would have begun their research a long time ago. However, the…

After months of diligent efforts, a work site put on hold by COVID-19 measures and numerous challenges along the way,…

How many North Atlantic right whales are left in the world? If the answer today hovers around 400, for researchers,…

The first North Atlantic right whale carcass in 2020 was spotted during an aerial survey on June 25, drifting off…

Since the start of the year, news concerning protection measures specific to North Atlantic right whales has been like a…

It is widely known that the North Atlantic right whale population is struggling, but a study has recently underscored just…

In spring, many observers report seeing seals on the shores of the St. Lawrence. The sun is out more and…

This video went viral on social networks around the globe. And for good reason. How awesome to view the world…

After wintering in the coastal waters of Florida and Georgia, right whales are back in the Gulf of St. Lawrence!…

Are you an avid kayaker, sailboater or motorboat enthusiast, and do you frequent the St. Lawrence or the Saguenay? The…

In Iceland, the two main commercial whaling companies have announced in the past few days that they will not be…

Creating a “retirement home” in the open sea that is capable of providing the best possible living conditions for whales…

Whether you’re on the North Shore or in the Gaspé Peninsula, when you live near the St. Lawrence, it’s easy…

Whether you’re on the North Shore or in the Gaspé Peninsula, when you live near the St. Lawrence, it’s easy…

Researchers witnessed a rare event in Mossel Bay, at the southern tip of the African continent: two great white sharks…

Good news! Aramis, daughter of the famous humpback whale Tic Tac Toe, recently gave birth to her very first documented…

Whales, which have been around for roughly 30 million years, are estimated to have reached their current size 4.5 million…

In 2017, Ruth Joy and her team (ECHO) conducted a study on the correlation between speed limit reductions and noise…

Across Canada and the US in early January, North Atlantic right whale experts, marine mammal veterinarians and whale rescue specialists…

In early February, an adult male killer whale was spotted off the coast of Lebanon, near Beirut. A rare occurrence…

In a press release, GNL Québec has undertaken to set up a $5M fund to support projects reducing the underwater…

To mark International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the Whales Online team decided to retrace the journey of technician Marie-Hélène D’Arcy,…

February 3, off the coast of Maui, Hawaii: The captain of a whale-watching cruise observes three humpback whales. According to…

A new publication on marine mammals. Long fascinated by cetacean intelligence, Janet Mann, professor of biology and psychology at Washington,…

The future is an increasingly gloomy one for the North Atlantic right whale, an endangered species whose numbers have been…

In an uncommon exercise in cetacean research, a team successfully placed a tag with electrodes on the back of a…

November 9, 2019: The Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network receives a report of a female beluga carcass on the…

Some 2,500 biologists, veterinarians, conservationists and wildlife managers from 95 countries are gearing up to gather in Barcelona for the…

A number of studies show that in different species of baleen whales, mothers and their offspring communicate in a very…

Accompanied by experienced divers Jill Heinerth and Mario Cyr, discover the pack ice and its animals with Arctic Adventure, an…

The pectoral fins of humpback whales, with their enormous size and jagged edges, are quite different from those of other…

This year in the St. Lawrence, no fewer than 13 mother-calf humpback pairs have been identified by teams from the…

In summer, the St. Lawrence is a feeding ground for a number of blue whales of the northwest Atlantic population.…

More and more studies are suggesting that numerous so-called endocrine disruptors are accumulating in the tissues of whales and posing…

A new documentary was just released by the National Film Board of Canada. Here is the synopsis. «On the otherwise…

On September 30, leading climate activist Greta Thunberg accompanied the scientific research team of the Group for Research and Education…

For four decades, research on blue whale behaviour has been trying to unravel the mysteries of their reproduction. A bit…

The North Atlantic right whale carcass found off Long Island, New York on September 16 was identified by the New…

The Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals (GREMM) is publishing a video to answer the many questions that…

In 2014, in French Polynesia, a female bottlenose dolphin nicknamed “Thaïs” is observed with her first calf. Two months later,…

Better understanding cetaceans to better protect them is the goal of many researchers working on these giants of the seas.…

A video of a beluga taking a gull in its mouth, following it around and even trying to taunt it…

The team at the Mingan Island Cetacean Study (MICS) has been observing fewer and fewer fin whales in the northern…

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, together with numerous collaborators, has produced an action plan entitled “Impact of noise…

A new study published in Experimental Biology showed that military sonar can affect the behaviour of the blue whales studied off the…

Project St. Lawrence Estuary (SLE) Beluga has been designated as an endangered species since 2014 by the Committee on the…

Aerial surveillance over the past few weeks has not identified any North Atlantic right whales in dynamic speed limit corridors.…

According to a study published in Molecular Biology and Evolution, whales have mechanisms to protect themselves against cancer. Since the…

Project Title Environmental Contaminants, Body Condition and Photogrammetry of St. Lawrence Estuary Belugas Project Synopsis The St. Lawrence Estuary (SLE)…

PHD SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY Agent-based modelling of recreational boating in the St. Lawrence Estuary and the Saguenay River (Québec, Canada) to…

Two new cases of dead right whales have been confirmed today by Fisheries and Oceans Canada. According to the ministry,…

On September 8, The Ocean Cleanup project will deploy its first floating system designed to capture waste in the waters of the…

Harald Yurk is a bioacoustics specialist with the Aquatic Ecosystems and Marine Mammals Division of Fisheries and Oceans Canada in…

On cat litter bags is a warning for pregnant women concerning a parasite found in cat feces. What is even…

Speed ​​restrictions applied to a larger fleet, increased aerial surveillance, expanded speed ​​limit area... The Government of Canada is announcing…

Right whales EG4423 and EG4440 are now swimming a little lighter since shedding some of the rope that had been…

Preliminary results of the fourth North Atlantic right whale necropsy have just been announced by Fisheries and Oceans Canada. The…

Since November 2018, 87 belugas and 10 killer whales have been illegally held captive in a “whale prison” off Nakhodka…

Fisheries and Oceans Canada confirms that two new North Atlantic right whale carcasses have been found, one on the coast…

The Government of Canada announced in a press release that it had discovered two new carcasses offshore, near the Acadian…

In early June, the carcass of a female grey whale washes ashore in British Columbia, close to the US border. This is…

Whale-watching cruises will no longer be able to ply the waters of certain sectors of the Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park.…

The North Atlantic right whale identified as Wolverine is currently analyzed on Miscou Island, New Brunswick. The necropsy requires the…

A first North Atlantic right whale carcass has been discovered this year. North Atlantic right whales are considered endangered and…

On May 13, the first North Atlantic right whales of the season were observed via aerial survey in the Gulf of…

On May 6, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) convened in St. John's, Newfoundland, to…

Between Breaths highlights the unusual life story of Jon Lien (1939-2010), a pioneer of whale research in Canada. It is…

Since November 2018, 87 belugas and 11 killer whales have been illegally held captive in a “whale prison” off Nakhodka…

Two belugas currently living in an aquarium in Shanghai, China, are getting ready to fly to Iceland. The two whales…

Imagine for a moment that the formidable shark in Jawswere to meet face to face with the friendly orca from…

What could be better than an agenda featuring whales to place them at the heart of our day-to-day concerns? This…

The terrestrial ancestors of whales first entered the water some 50 million years ago in the region around India and…

Fin whales in the northern Gulf of St. Lawrence are in decline, according to a new study published in the…

The St. Lawrence Challenge is a recognition and commitment program aimed at businesses and recreational tourism establishments that wish to…

To protect an endangered species, one needs to understand the factors inhibiting its recovery. In the case of the St.…

Montréal, March 5, 2019: In the presence of His Serene Highness Albert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco and several directors…

Since 1975, International Women’s Day has been celebrated on March 8. In Canada, women currently account for just one-third of…

Every day, blue whales must devour up to 4 tonnes of krill before they are full. With such an enormous appetite, it’s…

The female dolphin known as “Dolphy” regularly plays with swimmers and boats in the French port of Collioure. It is…

Since the beginning of the right whale calving season, 7 newborns have been observed. Although the announcement of a seventh…

Noise pollution is a growing threat for whales, notably for the beluga population of the St. Lawrence, which is affected…

The North Atlantic right whale protection measures for 2019 have been announced, and will include measures better suited to the…

A few days before Christmas, the Pact for Transition offered a “climate anti-deficit” bill to Quebec Premier François Legault. This…

Update of 12 February 2019: A fifth and a sixth calf has been confirmed. Since North Atlantic right whales have…

Two Master projects and a PhD project about belugas are recruiting! Master project - UQAR Master project - UQAM PhD…

Museum collections are full of fossils that haven’t been carefully examined in years. However, by taking a closer look at…

A herd of belugas breaks through the surface of the water as their squawks, chirps, whistles and grunts fill the…

Once believed to be the “right” whales to hunt, the endangered North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) population has been…

The Whale Online team has compiled a list of its favourite films and TV series for a home theatre session with whale…

2017 was a grim year for the North Atlantic right whales. The deaths of 18 right whales created a shock wave…

Fin whales may not be the largest of the whales, but they are certainly one of the fastest! This advantage…

The southeastern Gulf of St. Lawrence was home to nearly half of the North Atlantic right whale population this summer,…

Unlike humans, who can clean out the wax that covers their external ear canal (not with Q-tips of course!), whales…

Latest sightings of calves bring a new hope for the cetacean that is face-to-face with extinction: the vaquita (Phocoena sinus).…

About 145 black-bodied whales laid out on a long, sandy beach when two hikers, Liz Carson and Julian Ripoll, stumbled…

Innovation often derives from need. So has been the case for humpback whales off northeastern Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Humpbacks…

The Government of Canada announced further actions to help protect the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKWs) on October 31,…

A 23-foot orange Zodiac called Narval is used to approach minke whales. On board you will find the Mériscope crew,…

Dive deep into the vast blue ocean with turtles, whales and fish right from the convenience of your home or…

Follow us on a journey that will take you from the St. Lawrence to Vancouver via Russia, New York and…

Baleen refers to the stiff plates of keratin that hang off the upper jaw of some whales, more precisely mysticetes……

A ship that strikes a whale can cause the latter serious injury. In the St. Lawrence, fin whales are particularly…

Delays in the development of action plans, lack of resources, lack of support to partner organizations, neglect that has likely…

How would you like to “see” the world the same way a dolphin, a beluga or a sperm whale does?…

With Arctic shipping routes increasingly used by merchant shipping, an ice-free Arctic Ocean could put the resistance and adaptability of…

The summer of 2018 has seen a succession of announcements for investments and new projects designed to better understand and…

Project title Spatiotemporal Individual-Based Modelling of the St. Lawrence Estuary Beluga Population Project background and objectives St. Lawrence Estuary beluga…

Two marine terminal development projects could triple maritime traffic in the Saguenay and lead to a 10% increase in traffic…

In early July, images of whaling sparked a controversy. Sea Shepherd is concerned that Icelandic whalers have slaughtered a blue whale, which…

Menopause is a rather rare phenomenon. And yet a study published in Scientific Reports reveals that the females of two species of…

In early July, images of whaling sparked a controversy. Sea Shepherd is concerned that Icelandic whalers have slaughtered a blue whale,…

GREMM research assistants photograph a group of belugas. Upon closer inspection, they make a surprising discovery: one of the animals…

The way whales slip through the water can tell us if they are in good physical shape, reveals a study published…

A simulator of marine mammal movements and shipping traffic will be given a new lease of life thanks to a…

Great news! The beluga that was trapped in the Nepisiguit River in New Brunswick and relocated to the St. Lawrence…

July 13, 2018, 14:45, off the coast of New Brunswick’s Miscou Island, an aerial survey conducted by the National Oceanic and…

The Arctic is undergoing a transformation. Melting pack ice is opening up new shipping routes and setting the stage for…

Marine mammal conservationists have reason to celebrate: From now on, it will be forbidden to approach within 100 metres of…

Over the next few days, the lobster and snow crab seasons will end in most parts of the Gulf of…

The governments of Quebec and Canada have announced the creation of a new jointly-managed marine protected area at the American…

The Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park as we know it today was created in 1998. However, it took several decades of…

Calving season for St. Lawrence belugas is right around the corner, and to provide these animals with an area of…

Are fishes sentient? Do squid have a sense of self? Who are dolphins and can they be considered as nonhuman…

Five aircraft conducting aerial surveillance have spotted up to 27 right whales this season, which has resulted in several fishing…

Remote-controlled gadgets are becoming more popular for studying whales. Some have wings; some have propellers; other have sails or even…

The lives of diving animals take place for the most part under water, out of human sight. Can we, by…

Off the coast of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, the first right whale of the season was observed during aerial surveillance…

The Mingan Island Cetacean Study (MICS) was able to identify 121 humpback whales in 2017, a record number! Of these, 98…

By François Vachon The scientific team from EDMAKTUB filmed unprecedented images of fin whales surface feeding off the coast of…

Although changes made to the fishing season are of concern to many workers, be they fishermen or processing plant employees,…

Researchers call her Kleenex. Known since 1977, this right whale has been swimming with a rope wrapped around her head…

Earth Day will be celebrated around the world on April 22. In Quebec, the tone is more severe than in…

By François Vachon The year 2017 was a particularly grim year for right whales. A total of 17 carcasses were…

Researchers are sounding the alarm to prevent the imminent disappearance of the Gulf of Mexico Bryde’s whale. “This mammal is…

Last week, the European Commission unveiled its strategy for reducing the amount of plastic waste landfilled and discharged into the…

Are you interested in a career focused on the environment, wildlife conservation and awareness of your country's natural heritage? A…

Four new management measures for the snow crab fishery have been announced by Fisheries and Oceans Canada Minister Dominic LeBlanc…

In 2017, 18 right whale carcasses have been found in the North Atlantic near the Canadian and US coasts. For…

Solar storms are not the primary cause of mass cetacean strandings in Cape Cod Bay, claims a new study conducted…

For the first time, a study has shown clear signs of Alzheimer’s disease in a wild animal: the dolphin. Both…

By Stéphanie Tremblay The holiday season is fast approaching! With it comes the conundrum of brainstorming for gift ideas. That…

Between now and Christmas, the Government of Quebec is hoping to put into place a regulatory framework for hydrocarbon exploitation…

Do female dolphins have any control over which male they reproduce with? The question seems straightforward, but the method of…

At least 15 right whale sightings were made in the Gulf of St. Lawrence during the week of November 17,…

The stranding of 29 sperm whales in the North Sea in early 2016 may have been caused by solar storms…

By next spring, vessels off the coast of British Columbia will no longer be permitted to approach within 200 metres…

That's it, the marathon of presentations is over! The 22nd Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, held in…

The onslaught continues: lectures, flash presentations, videos, plenaries, posters and discussions with colleagues hailing from every continent. A biennial is…

Day 3 of the 22nd Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals. Some of the faces amongst the thousands…

Is there a correlation between brain size and the diversity of social behaviours exhibited by a species? In cetaceans, it…

Fifteen-minute presentations, four-minute flash communications and five-minute science videos: a total of 141 presentations were delivered at Scotiabank Centre in…

Day 1 of the 22nd Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals in Halifax. Already, our heads are filled…

From October 22-27, the Whales Online team will be covering the 22nd Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals…

A large group of bacteria was identified for the first time in the breath (or blow) of humpback whales. Whether…

Japan announced last week that it had successfully extracted zinc, gold, copper and lead from the seabed along the coast…

Thanks to a new statistical model, US government researchers and the New England Aquarium are able to more accurately estimate…

A team of researchers from Manitoba needs your eyes to sort through thousands of underwater photos of belugas. Are you…

From coast to coast, Simons is supporting research on St. Lawrence belugas and Pacific killer whales by symbolically adopting Artsea…

Ancient whales had extremely sharp teeth, similar to those of land-based predators such as lions and dingoes, recently discovered researchers…

In order to protect North Atlantic right whales, the Canadian government has temporarily reduced speed limits for large vessels in…

By Maureen Jouglain An understanding of death and reaction to the loss of a loved one are generally considered to…

A text from Sonia Villalon The monitoring of northern gannet populations (Morus bassanus) is of particular interest for understanding changes…

With Let’s Talk Whales, the Government of Canada is launching a comprehensive online public consultation on protective measures to implement…

By Maureen Jouglain A study published in July 2017 in the journal Endangered Species Research presents the first records of…

As evidenced by the news in the past few weeks, when whales get entangled in fishing gear, there can be…

In this beluga calving season, Fisheries and Oceans Canada's "Show you care, keep your distance!" awareness campaign reminds us of…

During their recent mission aboard the Coriolis II, researchers observed the lowest concentrations of dissolved oxygen ever recorded in the…

Whale Alert, an application developed to reduce the risk of collisions between ships and whales, is now available in French.…

A case study in Juneau, Alaska demonstrates the potential of whale-watching tours as an educational and public awareness tool for…

An invitation to travel through "Whale Civilization" The kick-off for summer talks has finally arrived! For the first gathering of…

Despite the measures that have been put into place in Canada since 2006 to reduce the concentrations of certain flame…

By Marie-Sophie Giroux  Rapid and Agile Greyhound of the Sea During the St. Lawrence Week, Whales Online features every day…

As part of St. Lawrence Week, Whales Online offers a glimpse of species that have a special meaning for each…

The making of the film Of Whales, the Moon and Men (1962) by Pierre Perrault, Michel Brault and Marcel Carrière…

During the St. Lawrence Week, from June 3 to June 11 2017, Whales Online features every day a different whale…

As part of St. Lawrence Week, Whales Online offers a glimpse of species that have a special meaning for each…

Is it possible to drink beer and support St. Lawrence beluga research at the same time? Yes, thanks to Les…

 As part of St. Lawrence Week, Whales Online offers a glimpse of species that have a special meaning for each…

  As part of St. Lawrence Week, Whales Online offers a glimpse of species that have a special meaning for…

On September 26, 2018, scientists aboard the Narval spotted a pair of vaquitas: one of the individuals was much smaller…

According to a recent study conducted by researchers at Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and the Rimouski-based Institute of Ocean…

To ensure the survival of the North Atlantic right whale, should we mitigate the risk of entanglements with fishing equipment?…

To facilitate the recovery of whales at risk in the St. Lawrence, researchers, wildlife managers and industry are working together…

Article by Robert Michaud Fisheries and Oceans Canada recently published the results of the most recent St. Lawrence beluga census,…

In recent months, the North Atlantic right whale has been much talked about. An unprecedented number of whales in Cape…

A Canadian-US research team has undertaken a study on the fungi and bacteria found in the breath of southern resident…

With no hands, how can one get the better of a live eight-armed prey measuring over one metre long equipped…

For the occasion of Earth Day (April 22), Whales Online proposes three simple actions to help preserve the ecosystems that…

Reduced speed for all boats in certain areas, prohibition of certain activities, clarification of the definition of disturbance to marine…

Interview with Michael Parfit and Suzanne Chisholm, director and producer National Geographic's prestigious TV channel Nat Geo Wild will broadcast…

Thirty hours: that’s all it takes for harbour porpoises to develop their hearing to the same level as adults. In…

On March 9, after two evenings of public hearings, the Vancouver Parks Commission decided: there will be no more cetaceans…

Marine mammal populations are accustomed to spending their summers in certain predator-free parts of the Arctic to give birth to,…

On March 11, the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto will launch its new exhibition dedicated to the largest animal the…

Can whales be counted using photos taken from outer space? Two researchers from Perth, Australia, are attempting to conduct a…

Organized by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the event aims to raise public awareness about whales and to…

Last weekend, over 600 pilot whales ran aground at Farewell Spit Beach in New Zealand. Hundreds of volunteers attempted to…

Since January 1, 2017, the United States has adopted a new seafood import regulation: foreign fisheries wishing to export to…

A mother beluga and her offspring gracefully slip through the waters of the St. Lawrence under the watchful eye of…

Get out your pens, cameras and computers! The Fernand-Seguin 2017 Scholarship is underway! Since 1981, this competition has represented an…

A study released this month by the Maurice Lamontagne Institute of Fisheries and Oceans Canada reveals that significant changes are…

Through their drawings, Quebec students aged 6 through 20 are invited to depict their dream activity related to the St.…

Do you tend to carry your baby on your left? And does your child tend to position themselves so that…

His involvement "for having revealed the true scale of overfishing in the planet's oceans" has led him to become the…

In these early days of 2017, the US government released its Cook Inlet Beluga Whale Recovery Plan, a population listed…

Reported on Radio-Canada’s website by journalist Ariane Perron-Langlois, the story of the live newborn beluga found beached was one of…

On November 29, the Trudeau government gave the go-ahead for the proposed expansion of the Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain pipeline…

On November 16, Fisheries and Oceans Canada announced the creation of the largest Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the Canadian…

Dive into the splendid waters of Alaska, Hawaii and the Kingdom of Tonga for an immersive experience in the heart…

Last week, Aurora, a female beluga who spent the last 26 years of her life at the Vancouver Aquarium, died…

The Earth Rangers organization helps protect St. Lawrence belugas and invites all children and their families to participate in the…

The narwhal, sometimes called the unicorn of the sea, is not an imaginary creature. It is a real animal, but…

Scientists are concerned: not only have the federal and provincial governments been slow to implement a recovery strategy for the…

Last week, the Government of Canada announced its $1.5 billion, 5-year National Oceans Protection Plan. The plan aims to create…

At a press conference on November 1, 2016, Nature Québec and CPAWS Quebec call for a beluga strategy in response…

Biologists are still learning to read the life history of individual whales by studying their baleen. Just like the growth…

Since late August 2016, there has been a new permanent resident in the Nature Wing of the Collège Lionel-Groulx: a…

Since late August 2016, there has been a new permanent resident in the Nature Wing of the Collège Lionel-Groulx: a…

On September 6, 2016, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the US agency that manages and protects whale stocks,…

For two days – Thursday, October 6 and Friday, October 7, 2016 – the St. Lawrence River will be the…

Science Literacy Week highlights Canada’s outstanding scientists and science communicators from coast-to-coast. The goals are to showcase the excellence and…

The US government recently granted $180,000 to the New England Aquarium to design safer fishing gear for whales – namely…

On Monday, August 29, a Zodiac captain working for Croisières Essipit and a passenger were thrown overboard from their tour…

In the latest issue of its magazine Plaisance (September 2016), the Regroupement des plaisanciers du Québec (Quebec boaters society, RQP) reminds recreational boaters of…

For the second consecutive year, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Parks Canada are encouraging recreational boaters to adopt good practices…

Last June 30, when a newborn beluga orphan was found on a beach in Rivière-du-Loup, a team from the Group for Research and…

[caption id="attachment_20043" align="alignright" width="250"] L'équipe du Mériscope © Mériscope[/caption] The Mériscope team is excited. This is the beginning of the…

Launched this spring by Les Bières Béluga Ltée, last week a new raspberry-flavoured white beer hit the shelves of numerous…

Recently, whale-watching guides and companies have expressed concerns about drones flying near killer whales off the west coasts of Canada…

On June 12, 2016, following the broadcast of Animo on ICI Radio-Canada Télé, viewers rallied in large numbers to collectively adopt the eponymously-named…

The harbour porpoise feeds day and night, aiming to capture up to 550 small fish per hour, with a success…

Although TransCanada abandoned its oil terminal project in Cacouna in April 2015, whales of the St. Lawrence are still threatened…

Stratégies Saint-Laurent, the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation and 33 other organizations invite Quebec citizens to celebrate the river during the…

A group of activists has announced its plans to create the world’s first coastal sanctuary for cetaceans – whales, dolphins,…

This Wednesday 25 May, from 4 to 7 pm, join us at the Broue Pub Brouhaha Ahuntsic for the launch of the…

The Government of Canada has published a notice in the Canada Gazette announcing that under the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA),…

According to literature, most Mysticeti whales – also known as baleen whales – undertake seasonal migrations between high and low…

In a letter to President Obama on April 14, 2016, twenty-seven scientists present their concerns about the impacts of seismic…

Although a killer whale can easily swallow a whole salmon, it prefers to tear it into pieces to share with…

According to an article published on April 5, 2016 in National Geographic, some whales, especially humpback and bowhead whales, could…

New investments recently announced by the Canadian and Quebec governments in port areas and the marine ecosystem of the St.…

The testimony of Émilien Pelletier before Quebec's environmental assessment agency (BAPE) last week cast a dark cloud over the whales…

The Antarctic blue whale, which is endangered, falls into three genetically distinct populations. This was the conclusion of a recent…

Smarter Seafood recently unveiled the list of 41 marine species harvested using sustainable practices that are recommended for consumption for…

Toxins produced by certain algae are present in Alaska's food chain in concentrations high enough to be detected in many…

On February 27, the team from Explora's Animo series takes you on board the Bleuvet to discover, together with the…

A study by researchers at the University of Aberdeen, in collaboration with the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme, recently demonstrated…

In late 2014, the Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals (GREMM) and its colleagues from the St. Lawrence Beluga…

On February 13, Radio-Canada's Semaine verte presented a chronicle of the fragile North Atlantic right whale, victim of intensive hunting that…

DOSSIER UPDATED FEBRUARY 8, 2016  – In 2015, of the 14 carcasses found, four have been confirmed as newborns and…

A number of conservation projects aim to protect critical habitats for marine mammal populations with one of the objectives being…

Since mid-January, 25 sperm whales have been found beached on the British, Dutch and German coasts. The reasons for these…

Drones offer researchers new means of obtaining data on wild animal populations. They help enlarge the field of view of…

A young beluga is stranded on the shores of the St. Lawrence... and it's alive! A team of scientists decides…

Myoglobin carries and stores oxygen in the muscles of vertebrates. It is particularly abundant in marine mammals and is believed…

The speed of boats travelling in the vicinity of killer whales is believed to be the greatest factor affecting ambient…

For centuries, whales have sparked the imagination. This Friday, December 11, the film In the Heart of the Sea will…

Over 75% of North Atlantic right whales show injuries or scars caused by fishing gear. A study conducted by the…

This international gathering, organized by the Society for Marine Mammalogy, rallies researchers, students and professionals from around the globe to…

Sablefish fishermen in the Gulf of Alaska face a major competitor to their operations: male sperm whales. The latter come…

Beluga stories: this is the final episode of the transcript of the training lecture given by Robert Michaud at the…

The waters around Argentina's Valdes Peninsula are thebreeding and calving grounds for southern right whales (Eubalaena australis). These whales have…

Almost a year to the day after the second wave of the Adopt a Beluga campaign was launched (in French), the first…

Author Hélène Jasmin recently compiled this biography (in French) about the famous filmmaker who passed away in 2013 and illustrious…

At the dawn of the beluga seasonal migration, one question remains: where will they winter? This is the question that…

At the dawn of the beluga seasonal migration, one question remains: where will they winter? This is the question that…

Anticipated announcement: the second in a series of three beers developed by the team from Les Bières Bélugas Ltée is…

Beluga stories: this is the seventh episode of the transcript of the training lecture given by Robert Michaud at the…

Held in Jacksonville, Florida, this festive rendez-vous celebrates the impending return of North Atlantic right whales to the coastal waters…

Omura's whale (Balaenoptera omurai), formerly considered to be a "pygmy form" of the Bryde's whale, was recognized as a full…

Beluga stories: this is the sixth episode of the transcript of the training lecture given by Robert Michaud at the…

An agreement has been signed between the US Navy and environmental groups to limit military activities that are harmful to…

SPECTACULAR CHASE IN STORMY SEAS Dominic Champagne revolutionized the staging of great mythical tales with The Odyssey. Now he is…

Beluga stories: this is the fifth episode of the transcript of the training lecture given by Robert Michaud at the…

Over thirty whales have been found dead off the coasts of Alaska and British Columbia in the past few months.…

From October 13 to 15, 2015, NAMMCO (The North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission) is organizing a symposium on the effects…

“Is the protection of the 900 belugas of the St. Lawrence one of your hopes for the future? What if…

Olivia Capeillere crossed the Atlantic to follow her passion for the titans that inhabit the St. Lawrence. As a naturalist…

Update – September 30, 2015 The final day of the program was September 25. Weather conditions were favourable, which allowed…

Beluga stories: this is the fourth episode of the transcript of the training lecture given by Robert Michaud at the…

DOSSIER UPDATED September 23: What do rorquals prey on? The fourth season of the large rorqual monitoring project ended in…

The discovery of a fossil of a beaked whale (Messapicetus gragarius) dating back 9 million years reveals that this animal…

Beluga stories: this is the third episode of the transcript of the training lecture given by Robert Michaud at the…

The authors of the The Leap Manifesto chose a whale to illustrate their hopes and concerns for a more just…

Professional storyteller Simon Gauthier pounds the pavement, his backpack chock full of tales, baleinophone in hand. The pioneer of whale…

The Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals (GREMM) and Parks Canada, along with their financial partners Fondation de…

Marie Guilpin crossed the Atlantic to study the whales of the St. Lawrence. As a Ph.D. student in oceanography in…

Hugues Durocher was literally born on the river. The son of a lighthouse keeper, his life has evolved with the…

A response from Véronique Lesage, Fisheries and Oceans Canada First, a little bit of background... North Atlantic right whales were…

For its 15th anniversary, the reference site on whales of the St. Lawrence has been completely revamped. With a broader network…

A number of observations of right whales have been reported throughout the summer at various locations in the Gulf of…

Its 15 m long skeleton is the star of an exhibit entitled "Souffleur à grosse tête, qui es-tu?" (loosely translated, "Big-headed…

Fisheries and Oceans Canada's ship F.G. Creed is in the Estuary this week for its eighth annual acoustic survey aimed…

Beluga stories: this is the second episode of the transcript of the training lecture given by Robert Michaud at the…

This project, which began last year, focuses in particular on the spawning grounds of this small silver fish. Herring migrate…

While the oil port project was abandoned six months ago due to the fact that the beluga population was assessed…

Beluga Stories: a presentation by Robert Michaud at the CIMM on June 22, 2015, presented here in eight episodes to…

According to a recent study, researchers examined whale skeletons and carcasses of all sizes to obtain measurements of their body…

This whale frequents the North Pacific and emits a range of unusual frequencies which are believed to isolate it from…

For more than five months, researchers have been tracking the migration of this female thanks to a signal emitted by…

The accident, which occurred in an area known to be frequented by a large number of tourist boats and by…

The Mingan Island Cetacean Study (MICS) will organize the first edition of the Grand Blue fundraiser on March 16, 2015…