Cetaceans: Champion Divers

Blue whales usually dive for 10 to 15 minutes, and sometimes even up to 30 minutes. Even though the majority of their dives are carried out within the first 100 m below the surface, blue whales can reach depths of up to 200 m where the seabed allows.

Luckily for Renaud, while the two enormous cetaceans are under water, a few belugas pass by, followed by several sizable herds of harp seals. Then a fin whale makes an appearance near the rocks. It seems to be heading toward Tadoussac before it arches its back and takes another plunge. Renaud decides to head to the outdoor recreation area in Les Bergeronnes, a few kilometres away, on the off-chance the fin whale will surface there. Nearly a half hour later, with camera in hand, Renaud waits patiently. Score! The whale emerges near the edge of the tidal flats.

Minke whales can also stay under water for several minutes. While their dives usually last anywhere between 2 and 10 minutes, they can rival fin and blue whales by holding their breath for upward of 20 minutes! This is the case for a minke whale that has been lingering off the coast of Godbout since January 10. “It swims very close to the shore, surfaces a few times, then takes a extended dive,” notes one observer.

When viewing belugas, the challenge these days is not to mistake them with drifting chunks of ice. In Saint-Irénée, an observer is surprised when she sees a pair on January 7. While belugas move farther downstream in the St. Lawrence for the winter, they can on occasion be seen in the Charlevoix and Haute-Côte-Nord regions. On the morning of January 9, a small group of belugas is observed off the coast of Les Escoumins. Built for life in the Arctic, the belugas of the St. Lawrence seem to have a preference for waters with heavy ice cover, i.e. in the order of 70 to 90%. This is because ice acts as a buffer against the elements and therefore the force of increasingly frequent winter storms. Over the years, ice cover on the St. Lawrence has tended to grow thinner. The ramifications of this are not only impacting belugas: without the protection offered by the pack ice, many communities along the St. Lawrence are seeing their shores erode. Let’s not drag our feet any longer to see what the next consequences of ice loss will be! To reverse this worrisome trend, colossal efforts must be made to combat climate change.

Did you see any whales or seals this week? Don’t hesitate to share your sightings with us on Facebook or by email at [email protected]!