News from Afield
-
2019 / 08 / 23
Thirteen Humpback Whales and Their Little Ones
We often talk about endangered species, but we rarely emphasize how well other species are doing. And humpback whale populations around the world are thriving. From “Threatened” in 1982 to “Not ...
-
2019 / 08 / 16
Out of the Ordinary
August 7: At the lookout in Baie Sainte-Marguerite in the Saguenay Fjord National Park, a naturalist scans the bay for belugas. She hasn’t seen a single one in four days. The presence of these whit...
-
2019 / 08 / 12
With the Belugas… Under Water
On the morning of July 26, the Bleuvet sets sail from the port of Tadoussac to study belugas. With 6 people on board, the cabin is a bit crowded. Researcher Valeria Vergara of Ocean Wise (British Col...
-
2019 / 08 / 09
Twelfth Beluga Carcass This Year Found on the Banks of the St. Lawrence
A beluga carcass washed up in the Gaspé town of Les Méchins on August 6. The newborn beluga still had its umbilical cord. The carcass will be recovered and sent for analysis to Université de Montr...
-
2019 / 08 / 09
Cetacean Acrobats
The pointed head and long, slender body rise to the sky like a rocket before the animal lands heavily on its side. “In twenty years, I have never seen that!”, exclaims a whale-watching cruise capt...
-
2019 / 07 / 26
Tiny Calf Will Become Giant
Calves spend their time learning to swim, hunt and move with agility by imitating their mother and other adults. Within a few weeks, many calves of the various species present in the St. Lawrence wil...
-
2019 / 07 / 18
Noteworthy Fish and Whales Galore
Last week, it was white-sided dolphins in Gaspé Bay. This week, killer whales, the largest species in the dolphin family, make an appearance in the Lower North Shore! At least four individuals, recog...
-
2019 / 07 / 17
With the Belugas… Out Fishing!
July 3, 2019: The BpJAM is back at sea for the 2019 field season, with the same crew as last year. The foggy morning forces us to stay docked: it’s hard enough to locate a herd in the fog, much less...
-
2019 / 07 / 11
First Dolphins of the Year and a Great-Grandmother
Measuring 2 to 2.7 metres long, their toned bodies are black, white, grey and yellowish-beige. Atlantic white-sided dolphins! Fifteen or so individuals were seen leaping in Gaspé Bay on July 5. “W...
-
2019 / 07 / 09
Female Beluga DL0584 Dies while Giving Birth
An eighth beluga carcass washed up on the banks of the St. Lawrence River on July 4. The individual has been identified as DL0584, a female that had been known to researchers since 1990. The necropsy ...