After an abundance of reportings last week, observers have become quieter of late! Exceptions include a cruise in the Gaspé region that reported the presence of a humpback whale on April 28 near Cap-des-Rosiers and a fin whale in Gaspé Bay. Earlier in the week, April 22 to be exact, an observer wrote to us: “This afternoon, near Anse des Petits Méchins in Gaspésie, I spotted a group of five belugas… they couldn’t have been more than five miles from the coast. Then, an hour later, I saw a fin whale in the cove, perhaps the same one I had seen earlier in the week.”

Cruises in the Tadoussac region will resume operations as early as this weekend, April 30. Will there be whales? A patient and passionate observer made his almost daily walk on the beach in Tadoussac and several weekly jaunts to Cap de Bon-Désir, but the last few days have been rather quiet, except for a few common eiders and brant. He’s optimistic, however, that the fin whale seen near the Prince Shoal Lighthouse is still in the neighbourhood.

Observations of the Week - 29/4/2016

Josiane Cabana

Josiane Cabana served as Director for the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network call centre from 2011 to 2018. When she’s not responding to cases of dead or vulnerable marine mammals, she likes to take the time to educate local residents on the threats faced by these animals. Biologist by training, she has been involved with the GREMM for more than 15 years, and always with the same undying passion!

Recommended articles

Cetaceans that Light Up the Waters

Weeks of overcast weather have given way to sunny days, pink skies, and a St. Lawrence River whose colour shifts…

|Observations of the Week 6/8/2026

Porpoising and Disproportionate Blows

Atlantic white-sided dolphins made their first appearance of the season in the Gaspé Peninsula, while the black backs of large…

|Observations of the Week 30/7/2026

Swirling Foam in the Estuary

This week has been marked by fin whales showing off some impressive acrobatics, including breaches—a bold but rare behaviour for…

|Observations of the Week 23/7/2026