Between Sky and Sea

In recent days, observers have been as captivated by life at sea as in the air! Great whales do not seem to be overly abundant these days, though one faithful observer from Baie-des-Sables in the Gaspé wrote in on Sunday “Yesterday I thought I spotted a whale spout offshore, but with the wind that we had, I can’t be sure.” One thing is for certain, this same individual was taken aback by the behaviour of a seal, as it was porpoising like a dolphin! Every day in the sky, he is delighted to see small groups of gannets.

In the St. Lawrence Estuary, the presence of minke whales was reported at Pointe de l’Islet and near the Prince Shoal Lighthouse in Tadoussac, sectors that are known to be hotspots for this species. Tadoussac Bay also had its share of visitors on May 7! A harbour seal was spotted and a group of belugas consisting of two adults and two young ventured near the cruise ship dock. Their dynamic behaviour gave observers the impression that they were feeding on schools of fish. In addition to these whales, a birder from the region described the excitement of finding seabirds such as long-tailed ducks, brant, eider and Bonaparte’s gulls.