Baby Beluga in the Limelight in 2016
Reported on Radio-Canada’s website by journalist Ariane Perron-Langlois, the story of the live newborn beluga found beached was one of the top 10 most read articles in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region in 2016!
On June 30, 2016, a female beluga – barely a few hours old – was found stranded alive in Rivière-du-Loup. The team from the Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals (GREMM) conducted a rescue attempt by releasing the newborn back into the water amongst a group of females and juveniles.
The outcome of this intervention remains unknown. The newborn has not been reported since it was returned to the water. Will researchers see it again next summer? Skin samples were taken from the young animal, which might allow researchers to track it and understand how its story unfolds.
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Béatrice Riché
Béatrice Riché has served as editor for the GREMM in 2016. She holds an MSc in environmental science and has spent several years working abroad in the fields of resource conservation, species at risk and climate change. Back on the shores of the St. Lawrence, which she keeps watch over every day, Béatrice writes columns on whales, drawing inspiration from events taking place here and afar.
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