Large Rorquals in the Gulf

In the sector encompassing Tadoussac, Les Bergeronnes and Les Escoumins, minke whales, belugas and seals have been swimming in the cold St. Lawrence waters, but still no sign whatsoever of any large rorquals over the last week. While some members of the community are concerned about this, others are content with the few sightings they are able to make, while still holding out hope for the return of the giants in the days to come. Meanwhile, other observations have been pouring in: “A harbour seal in the ‘banana’ position off the dunes yesterday,” “a harp seal and about fifteen harbour porpoises in front of Mer et Monde,” “a minke whale near the Marine Environment Discovery Centre,” “belugas, harbour seals and my first grey seal today.”

For a marine mammal enthusiast in Franquelin, there don’t seem to be as many whales as in previous years, though he remains hopeful that he might get to see some large whales in the coming days or weeks. A regular observer shares some of her encounters with marine mammals. “Two minke whales observed from shore in Franquelin. And far offshore, a bright white spot really reminded me of a moving beluga, but given the distance I couldn’t be entirely certain, but it definitely wasn’t a ‘beluwave’!” Indeed, with their shape and white backs, belugas are often mistaken for waves. For the trained eye, cetacean movements are quickly distinguished from those of the waves. During an outing, this pleasure boater also had the opportunity to see a minke whale, a harbour porpoise and four harp seals.

In Sept-Îles, no fewer than four humpback whales were observed, including one accompanied by a calf. The tally for marine fauna in the region continues to grow: three fin whales, a blue whale, several minke whales and belugas. The region was rich in marine mammals, though some observers might point out that this season is not exceptional, either; in fact, cetaceans are likely even fewer in number than in other years. A little farther east, in Havre-Saint-Pierre, pinnipeds and a minke whale round out the picture on the North Shore over the last week.

Gaspé

Whales are still very present and active in Gaspé Bay. About a dozen humpbacks show their caudal fins to sea gazers while their large, balloon-shaped spouts blur the horizon. The presence in the area of multiple minke whales and two fin whales delights those who are lucky enough to see them. At Pointe Saint-Pierre, some fifty harbour seals were resting on the rocks on June 9. A few days later, on June 13, blowing humpbacks were observed from Cap-des-Rosiers.

A herd of belugas was seen from the shores of L’Anse-au-Griffon, and off Grande-Vallée a few days after that. Unaccustomed to seeing these cetaceans in the region, the Whales Online subscriber wondered about her observation. “There must have been around 20, including a few individual stragglers. This is the first time we’ve ever seen belugas in our area.” The range of this endangered species stretches from the St. Lawrence Estuary to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. For GREMM scientific director Robert Michaud, it is normal to see this species in the spring in the Gaspésie, though less so in June. Fortunately, according to the observer, the group of belugas seemed to be heading upstream! During a day in the estuary, a mariner crosses paths with belugas off Matane and a minke whale near Saint-Nicholas Bay.

Observation map

This week marks the return of the weekly sightings map! A special thanks to all our collaborators who share their marine mammal encounters with us every week. If you have a particular story you would like to tell or a photo that we could publish, don’t hesitate to write us at [email protected]. Interested in sharing your observations and contributing to citizen science? Use the marine mammal sighting entry tool.