The Calm Before the Whales
Despite the snow, the wind, and the bitter cold of the past few days, several belugas were spotted off the coast of Les Bergeronnes. A large fin whale spout was reported near Baie-Comeau, and about a dozen harbour seals were seen drifting on the ice at a number of locations along the St. Lawrence. Spring is right around the corner, but at the same time, winter doesn’t seem to have had its last word!
White backs in the storm
“Thrilled to be able to observe my first small spouts and my first St. Lawrence belugas of the year!” a naturalist and wildlife photographer is quick to tell us. On March 10, from the shores of Les Bergeronnes, he was able to tally several dozen of these white whales moving about in several small groups.
Belugas are social animals, so it is not uncommon to see them in groups ranging from a few individuals to groups numbering in the dozens. These groups and their composition are generally characterized by sexual or age-related segregation: males stick together, while females and young do the same.
Is this sighting a sign that St. Lawrence belugas have begun their migratory movements? In spring, belugas can usually be observed from the Gaspé Peninsula to Île aux Coudres, whereas winters are spent below (downstream of) Forestville and in the northern parts of the Gulf.
After two days of forced confinement due to a raging storm on the North Shore, the naturalist also shared his encounter with harbour seals on the pack ice after the heavy snow had subsided. The seals drifted past on small patches of ice as the last remaining snowflakes fell from the sky. In Sept-Îles, another observer reports a similar sighting.
Where is spring?
“I saw a blowing fin whale off the coast Baie-Comeau on Monday, but that’s about it. I can’t wait for spring!” one local resident tells us. “There were a few harbour seals between Les Escoumins and Tadoussac, but still no whales. When they do finally show up, then we’ll know that spring has sprung!” remarks an avid whale watcher. “Slowly but surely, spring is arriving, and I hope the whales are too!” adds another marine mammal enthusiast based in Gallix.
Spring officially begins on March 20 in Quebec, but the accumulating snow and lingering ice on the St. Lawrence are making some people second guess the calendar! For whales, spring is synonymous with migration: This is the time of year when they normally begin their journeys back to their nutrient-rich feeding grounds. Notwithstanding the handful of blows spotted this winter at the edge of the gulf, when will we see the first fin whales in the estuary? Place your bets!
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.
- Laetitia Desbordes
- Diane Ostiguy
- Stéphane Pagès
- Renaud Pintiaux
- Pascal Pitre
- Andréanne Sylvain
- Marielle Vanasse
And all the others!
Additionally, we would like to acknowledge the following teams that also share their sightings:
Centre d’éducation et de recherche de Sept-Îles (CERSI)
Station de recherche des Îles Mingan (MICS)
Réseau d’observation des mammifères marins (ROMM)
Réseau québécois d’urgence pour les mammifères marins (RQUMM)
Groupe de recherche et d’éducation sur les mammifères marins (GREMM)
Mériscope
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]!
Odélie Brouillette
Odélie Brouillette joined the GREMM team as a writer and naturalist in 2022, and has been a project manager in science popularization since 2023. With a background in biology, she loves learning and sharing with others what's most important to her. She has always been fascinated by marine environments and whales, and hopes to contribute to their protection through awareness-raising and popularization.
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