Strong Winds, Big Whales

“It’s a humpback frenzy here: 17 this week alone,” reports the Sept-Îles Education and Research Centre (CERSI). Identified individuals include Lazy Zhu (H731) and her calf, as well as Leprechaun (H379). Two blue whales were also spotted in the area. Meanwhile, a basking shark, three fin whales, and about ten North Atlantic right whales were observed in the Mingan sector, notes the Mingan Island Cetacean Study (MICS). MICS was able to identify individuals #3810, #2743, #3845 and #4539, as well as the female right whale Boomerang (#2503) and her calf, which was born last winter.

Near Baie-Comeau, a sharp observer reports the presence of a few humpbacks and minke whales. “We’re spoiled!” he adds. Off the coast of Baie Saint-Pancrace, a group of about thirty grey seals was spotted, along with a few harbour porpoises. Meanwhile, the female humpback Hunter (H461) and her calf were seen moving west of Franquelin. Near Forestville, a multitude of harbour porpoises were swimming offshore.

Harbour seals near the Cap-aux-Os beach, minke whales at L’Anse-aux-Amérindiens, and a porbeagle shark round out the sightings list in Gaspé Bay. “It’s been very quiet in the bay for some time now,” points out one naturalist. An ocean sunfish—also known as Mola mola—was spotted near the Magdalen Islands. Meanwhile, a few North Atlantic right whales have been reported between the Gaspé Peninsula and Anticosti Island, as well as at the entrance to Chaleur Bay.

In Sainte-Anne-des-Monts, dolphins appear to have been spotted by an observant local resident. Farther west, near Petits-Méchins, a humpback whale was reported on the Vigie Marine citizen science platform. Another humpback was spotted off the coast of La Martre, not to mention a minke whale and a blue whale!

Whether alone or in groups of close to a dozen, fin whales have been stealing the show in the Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park. “The fin whales were so active in the afternoon; they would often partially lift their heads to breathe between or right over the waves,” notes a naturalist and wildlife photographer, describing the behaviour he observed in the world’s second-largest cetacean between Tadoussac and Les Bergeronnes. Meanwhile, blue whales B369 and B408 were spotted farther east, near Les Escoumins. B408 has reportedly visited the Marine Park just three times: in 2006, 2013, and 2026, according to the research team at the
Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals (GREMM).

Where had it been all those years? Did it slip under the research teams’ radar, or did had it gone somewhere else to feed? Blue whale migration patterns remain rather poorly understood. During migration, certain individuals will occasionally develop site fidelity to specific areas. Moreover, most of their movements are dictated by the distribution of their preferred prey: krill! Does B408 favour the Gulf of St. Lawrence?

Humpback whales are still present in the Marine Park, even if their numbers have tapered off compared to recent weeks. Among them, H1004 and H944 (a.k.a. “Katana”) were identified near Les Escoumins. In the absence of humpback sightings, attention has occasionally shifted to harbour seals resting on the rocks, grey seal heads sticking out of the water, or minke whales surfacing nearby. Belugas were also spotted swimming at several locations, notably in the Saguenay Fjord and off Saint-Siméon.

These data were reported by our network of observers. They give an idea of the presence of whales and in no way represent the actual distribution of whales in the St. Lawrence. Just for fun!

Click on the whale or seal icons to discover the species, the number of individuals, additional information or photos of the sighting. To enlarge the map, click on the icon in the top right-hand corner. The map works well on Chrome and Firefox, but not so well on Safari.

To display the list of sightings, click on the icon in the top left-hand corner.

Thanks to all our collaborators!

• Croisières Baie de Gaspé
• Sylvie Carré
• Camille Degache
• Laetitia Desbordes
• Justin Kiefer
• Philippe Laborde
• Diane Ostiguy
• Sandrine Papias
• Renaud Pintiaux
• Pascal Pitre
• Jean-François Rail
• Simone Richard
• René Roy
• Guillaume Savard
• Andréanne Sylvain
• Ophélie Turgeon
• 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)
Mériscope