Return of Humpbacks to the Estuary and Right Whales to the Gulf
Humpback whales have been everywhere this week: Two or three individuals were roaming Gaspé Bay, the estuary welcomed its first arrivals, and six individuals were spotted in the Basse-Côte-Nord region. Meanwhile, fin whales have been reported near Les Bergeronnes and a blue whale off the Gaspé Peninsula. But let’s not forget all the other species! Belugas, porpoises, seals, minke whales… Marine mammals continue to make a splash!
Diversity in the St. Lawrence
Observers were elated as they shared their stories – and we got to hear quite a few! – of their encounters with whales and seals.
One enthusiast was amazed by just about everything she saw: “two minke whales, one of which passed very close to shore, plus about twenty harbour porpoises, two of which were porpoising! A beluga visible through the clear water, harbour seals, and a grey seal! Saturday, June 7, at the Escoumins–Trois-Pistoles ferry dock, humpback whale H857 and about fifteen scattered belugas!” All in all, two humpback whales have been swimming near the river’s north shore, a blue whale is supposedly passing through, and the arrival of fin whales Bp918 and Ti-Croche has been reported. For the latter, it’s the shape of its strongly rear-curved dorsal fin that earned it the nickname “Ti-Croche.”
At the Marine Mammal Interpretation Centre, the shop manager experienced a magical moment. She shares the following moving anecdote: “I asked a little boy – couldn’t have been more than 3 or 4 years old – if he could sing like the whales. I did a demonstration with a whalephone, and he was very impressed. I asked him if he wanted to give it a try. The clever little tyke replied, “Yes, but you have to be near the water.” So we headed to the windows overlooking the Saguenay, and he gave it a go. At that moment, a beluga appeared in the middle of the river, opposite the Baie-Saint-Catherine crossing! You should’ve seen his eyes. Simply magical!”
For a naturalist, it was the presence of minke whales that left a lasting impression: “The past few days, I noticed that one of the most faithful minke whales in the Marine Park had returned. Ba375 is a minke whale that passes by Pointe de L’Islet almost daily. I was also lucky enough to observe a mother harbour seal and her pup.
In Pointe-des-Monts, one resident enjoyed the presence of more than a dozen belugas on Saturday and Sunday, about 800 metres from shore. In Gallix, a local resident observed the large spout of a fin whale.
Find the intruder
According to the latest observation efforts, several North Atlantic right whales are currently in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, more precisely in the Shediac Valley area off the coast of New Brunswick. On June 6, one right whale, the calf of #2791 born in in 2024, even made its way up the estuary… as far upstream as Cacouna! A few weeks after the observation of an entangled juvenile (article in French) in the Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park, and less than a year after the disentanglement of another juvenile in the estuary, can we describe this behaviour as exploratory? Most likely already weaned from their mothers, these young individuals are in search of food, though from an historical perspective, sightings of this species so early in the year and so far up the estuary are rare! Or are we witnessing a new shift in the right whale’s feeding grounds? The arrival of right whales in the estuary brings its share of issues, because the measures put in place to protect them in the gulf (fishing area closures, speed reductions, etc.) do not apply to the estuary. Fortunately, this very curious juvenile left the Cacouna area and was seen again in the gulf the same day!
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.
Eliza Ahire
Odélie Brouillette
Marie-Andrée Charlebois
Michel Comeau
Thalia Cohen-Bacry
Laeticia Desbordes
Véronique Gélinas
Hélène Guitton
Geoffroy Ingret
Sidric Jasmin
Jade-Audrey Lavergne
Audrey Leblanc
Alice Martin
Soizic Percevault
Karine Pegiel
Pascal Pitre
Renaud Pintiaux
Diane Ostiguy
René Roy
Guillaume Savard
Andréanne Sylvain
Marielle Vanasse
Gabriela Vincent-Parada
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]!
Équipe Baleines en direct
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