Whales for World Whale Day!

Clear skies, radiant sun, blue water: the perfect conditions for admiring the river. Almost driven by a sixth sense, one regular observer had a funny feeling that he would see a whale on February 20. “I currently have a blue whale in front of me, my first cetacean this year,” he comments from the shores of Franquelin. “I’ve been waiting for them so long, and on my drive here this morning I just knew that today was the day. […] Shortly after I park my car, I hear the blow of a giant blue that’s coming to the surface repeatedly! It seems to be logging at the moment.” A few seconds later, the enormous cetacean appeared to be surface feeding.

The term logging is used when a whale floats motionless on the water surface. The term is derived from the fact that whales exhibiting this behaviour resemble floating logs. They behave this way when they are resting. Unlike humans, whales breath “consciously,” meaning their breathing is under the voluntary control of the central nervous system. They must therefore remain partially awake in order to stay sufficiently alert to control their breathing, otherwise they run the risk of drowning!

Belugas and seals in Les Escoumins

“They were quite scattered, with about 5 to 7 white ones heading east and at least one that seemed to be swimming toward Les Bergeronnes,” describes a seasoned observer in reference to the belugas she saw. “They’re hard to pick out amongst the blocks of ice […]. We didn’t stick around too long due to the cold, but it was nice to see them again in the area, and we like to think that they’re still out there!” A great way to mark World Whale Day! Between Les Escoumins and Tadoussac, a few harbour seals were also basking on the rocks.

Farther east, in Gallix, a resident enjoyed an unusual observation of two red foxes near the shoreline. With their flashy coats offering a stark contrast against the whiteness of the snow, it was a striking and unexpected sighting, proving once again that winter outings are sometimes filled with magical moments.

Thanks to all our collaborators!

Special thanks go out to all our observers who share their love for marine mammals with us! Your encounters with cetaceans and pinnipeds are always a pleasure to read and discover.

On the water or from shore, it is your eyes that give life to this column.

Thalia Cohen-Bacry
Laetitia Desbordes
Guillaume Fortin
Jade-Audrey Lavergne
Diane Ostiguy
Renaud Pintiaux
Pascal Pitre
Andréanne Sylvain
Marielle Vanasse

And to all the others!

Additionally, we would like to acknowledge the following teams that also share their sightings:

Sept-Îles Research and Education Centre (CERSI)
Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals (GREMM)
Marine Mammal Observation Network (MMON)
Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network (QMMERN)
Mingan Island Cetacean Study (MICS)

Would you also like to share your observations?

Have you seen any marine mammals in the St. Lawrence? Whether it’s a spout offshore or just a couple of seals, drop us a line and send your photos to [email protected]!