Leaving the Belugas for the Winter

Le Bleuvet has been taken out of the water for the winter. For the past two weeks, the team was aboard this boat, not at sea, but on terra firma, protecting the craft from the elements for the winter. Its season on the water had ended prematurely in early October due to a mechanical issue. During this time, the GREMM’s second boat, BpJAM, stayed at the docks to allow the team to complete its season at sea. The BBE project (beluga behavioural ecology) aims to define the social nature of groups, shed light on their movements and use of habitat, identify their critical habitats and their vulnerability to human activities. It also aims to evaluate the reproductive success of females and study population dynamics.

Four months earlier, at the end of June, the team takes to the water for its first days in the field. They encounter herds of belugas which they know well and which remain faithful to their territories. They work in the Saguenay Fjord in particular, which is sheltered from the wind. They see two calves swimming in close proximity to their mothers. It’s the beginning of the beluga calving season, which lasts through September.