Sea Smoke on the St. Lawrence and Blowing Whales
Marine mammals were still present this past week, which was marked by weather mostly typical for January in Quebec, notwithstanding the noteworthy meteorological phenomenon of sea smoke. However, observers haven’t been put off by the dropping temperatures! The dorsal fins of blue whales. A blowing humpback. Seals. A handful of belugas.
Marine mammals were still present this past week, which was marked by weather mostly typical for January in Quebec, notwithstanding the noteworthy meteorological phenomenon of sea smoke. However, observers haven’t been put off by the dropping temperatures! The dorsal fins of blue whales. A blowing humpback. Seals. A handful of belugas.
“We haven’t seen much in recent days due to the ‘sea smoke,’” explains one North Shore resident. This regional expression refers to evaporation fog that occurs when frigid air comes into contact with a warmer body of water. Even if we don’t see any marine mammals, the phenomenon is still awesome to observe!
On January 16, off the coast of Les Bergeronnes, a blue whale made a notable passage. After a patient wildlife photographer waited for an hour, the largest animal on the planet emerged vertically, revealing its massive back and dorsal fin. It subsequently dove back into the depths, disappearing under the winter sun.
In the Gaspé region, a local woman enjoyed the presence of a large rorqual in the area. “From Cap-aux-Os, we observed three separate spouts Sunday afternoon in Gaspé Bay. At least one of them was a blue whale. It was feeding from the side… We could see its pectoral fin and the tip of its tail sticking out of the water.” It was ultimately the observation of the animal’s dorsal fin that clinched the identification. Blue whales have a very small dorsal fin compared to that of the fin whale, which is curved and clearly visible, or that of the humpback whale, which is perched atop the species’ namesake hump.
On Monday, whales were still blowing in the area: “There was another large blow in the same area that was clearly visible despite the strong gusts of wind. Another large rorqual, but I couldn’t confirm its ID given the distance and all the whitecaps.”
Seals, belugas and more large spouts
In the St. Lawrence, seals are an integral part of the winter landscape. Harp seals have been seen regularly near shore, though were not quite as omnipresent as they were the previous week. They have apparently abandoned Gaspé Bay. A harbour seal was seen basking on a rock in the middle of the Manicouagan River, while in Tadoussac, an individual was observed near the wharf, under the curious stares of passers-by.
As for belugas, they continue to patrol the waters of the St. Lawrence. Every three or four days, two or three white backs are spotted by residents not far from Les Bergeronnes. In Franquelin, a local resident reported seeing the characteristic blow of a humpback. Lastly, the frozen tidal flats also attract visitors from the sky. Peregrine falcons and even rarer gyrfalcons were observed at Batture aux Alouettes or from Cap de Bon-Désir.
Life in sub-zero water
But how do these marine mammals survive in the icy waters of the St. Lawrence? Their secret lies in their ability to thermoregulate. Their thick blubber acts as an insulating barrier that minimizes the loss of body heat. This layer can even reach up to 50 centimetres thick! In whales and seals, blood vessels in the fins, tail and pectoral fins form a counter-current system. Warm blood arriving from the internal organs raises the temperature of cooler blood returning from the extremities, keeping heat loss to a minimum.
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.
Odélie Brouillette
Thalia Cohen-Bacry
Diane Ostiguy
Sandrine Papias
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]!
Andréanne Forest
Andréanne Forest is the editor-in-chief of Whales Online since may 2022. After studying in environment and biology, she turned to science communication with the goal of making science both accessible and fun. Andréanne wishes to highlight the process of acquiring knowledge while transmitting the desire to learn.
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