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Whales, Belugas and Seals: A Busy Week on the North Shore

There's been plenty of action in the St. Lawrence in these first few days of March! Several belugas were seen…

|Observation of the Week 7/3/2024

Meredith Sherrill: An Example of Tenacity for Working with Whales!

To work with whales, Meredith’s journey took her to California, Michigan, Scotland, and ultimately to Quebec! Meredith Sherrill is a…

|News 7/3/2024

Harp Seals, on the Ice and in the Water

In terms of marine mammal sightings, the week can be summed up by harp seals at several locations in the…

|Observation of the Week 29/2/2024

Speed Reductions in the Presence of Whales Prove Effective

Have you ever wondered why speed limits are imposed in certain shipping areas? Part of the answer can be summed…

|News 29/2/2024

Interpreting the Extraordinary Surface Behaviour of Humpback Whales

Humpback whales are also particularly entertaining, lifting their tails when diving, performing successive breaches, striking their pectorals or tail on…

|Whale Q&A 29/2/2024

Blue Whale in Les Escoumins

It seems that the biggest giant of all has paid a little visit to Les Escoumins! In fact, several local…

|Observation of the Week 22/2/2024

The Inspiring Story of the Grey Whale

Each in their own way, every species on our planet must cope with the impacts of human actions, paving way…

|News 22/2/2024

Good News for St. Lawrence Belugas

World Whale Day is the perfect opportunity to make some big announcements for belugas! Thanks to a new census method,…

|News 19/2/2024

Large Spouts Offshore and Seals on the Ice

Large rorquals continue to blow off the coasts of Franquelin and Godbout, making for some extraordinary winter observations. Elsewhere in…

|Observation of the Week 15/2/2024

When February Feels like July

Once again this week, blue whales have been on the prowl, with one spotted in Franquelin, others in Godbout and…

|Observation of the Week 8/2/2024

Working With Whales: A Dream Come True for Jade-Audrey

When she was just 11 years old, Jade-Audrey already knew she wanted to work with cetaceans. Years later, her childhood…

|News 8/2/2024

Élizabeth: Woman of Science and Belugas

Élizabeth, research assistant for the Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals (GREMM), has been photographing belugas since May…

|News 8/2/2024

The Big Blue

Viewed from the window, a powerful blast erupts from the river’s murky waters. From the comfort of their own home,…

|Observation of the Week 2/2/2024

The Secret Societies of Sperm Whales

Are sperm whales really as solitary as we think? The answer might surprise you. Indeed, you probably would have never…

|News 1/2/2024

Large Rorquals Under the Winter Sun

If it weren’t for the snow-covered shoreline and the sub-zero temperatures, Franquelin residents could almost be forgiven for thinking it’s…

|Observation of the Week 25/1/2024

North Atlantic Right Whale Calving Season Still Far Under Par

* As of January 29, 2024, the total number of calves born was 16. An exceptional event was observed a…

|News 25/1/2024

Winter Doldrums

Throughout the St. Lawrence, the snowfall of the past few days has put a damper on opportunities for watching marine…

|Observation of the Week 18/1/2024

Fin whales for the New Year

The presence of fin whales in the estuary surprised observers just in time for New Year’s. Harp seals have been…

|Observation of the Week 11/1/2024

Why do humpback whales sometimes interact with algae?

In an immense expanse of blue, a long and slender silhouette gently rises above the water surface. A string of…

|Whale Q&A 9/1/2024

Top five films and documentaries about whales

The holiday season is the perfect time to immerse yourself in stories about marine mammals and relax in front of…

|News 14/12/2023
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

Sparkling belugas

Across the St. Lawrence, it was the tranquility of sightings that marked the past week. Many observers reported seeing nothing…

|Observation of the Week 14/12/2023

Why do humpback whales get in the way of hungry killer whales?

A rare behaviour that remains unexplained Bertie Gregory, explorer for National Geographic, recently witnessed an extremely rare episode of intimidation.…

|Whale Q&A 7/12/2023

Blue Whales and Fin Whales on the Horizon

What could possibly spark the interest of adults and children alike, drawing a crowd on the shores of Franquelin one…

|Observation of the Week 7/12/2023

A Late November with Dolphins and Rorquals Aplenty

Dozens of Atlantic white-sided dolphins, a late humpback, a minke whale here, belugas there... There’s so much marine fauna in…

|Observation of the Week 30/11/2023

Humpback Observed Earlier This Summer Washes Up in the Gaspé

On Wednesday, October 25, a humpback whale carcass washed up in Saint-Maxime-du-Mont-Louis in the Gaspé Peninsula. It was a male…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 30/11/2023

Reproductive Failures and Malnutrition in the Southern Resident Killer Whale

The recovery of the small community of southern resident killer whales – estimated at around 75 individuals – is hanging…

|News 30/11/2023

Belugas Under the Snow

As November winds down, the snow gently reminds us that winter temperatures are right around the corner. With most of…

|Observation of the Week 23/11/2023

Stranded Sperm Whale on the North Shore

On November 6, flying above the gulf fifteen kilometres from the village of Baie-Johan-Beetz, a helicopter pilot notices a greyish…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 23/11/2023

An Exceptional Cetacean: Tool Use in Bottlenose Dolphins

In Shark Bay, Western Australia, a subset of the bottlenose dolphin population displays remarkable ingenuity. When foraging, they cover their…

|News 23/11/2023

Small or Large, Marine Mammals Are Still Present!

Although sightings are beginning to taper off in the gulf, the estuary is still abuzz with the resonating spouts of…

|Observation of the Week 16/11/2023

Killer Whales: Male Offspring at the Expense of Maternal Reproductive Success

According to a study published in Current Biology, females in the small community of southern resident killer whales invest their…

|News 15/11/2023

Make way for Perucetus colossus, a sea giant that would have outweighed a blue whale!

Imagine 150 cars piled on top of one another like a mountain. Sounds impressive, doesn’t it? But hold on: it…

|News 14/11/2023

A Frenzy of Humpback Whales!

Humpback whales were at it again this week, giving us perhaps one last chance to admire their antics in the…

|Observation of the Week 9/11/2023

Alloparental Care and Benefits for Young Belugas: Unanswered Questions

How do young belugas benefit from alloparental care? This is a question that Jaclyn Aubin and her colleagues tried to…

|News 9/11/2023

A Beautiful End to the Season!

Notable sightings of the week included reports of little make-believe characters, from Nemo to the Little Mermaid to SpongeBob, parading…

|Observation of the Week 3/11/2023

Whales in the Flesh!

Friday morning, September 22, 2023. Warning: Not for the faint of heart! I wake up shortly after dawn. The golden…

|Field Notes 3/11/2023

Killer Whales in Basse-Côte-Nord

Rare visitors to the St. Lawrence were observed this past week in Quebec's Basse-Côte-Nord (Lower North Shore) region: killer whales.…

|Observation of the Week 26/10/2023

In Search of Large Rorquals

It's 5:45 a.m., and I'm already awake and excitedly waiting for news from the research team of the Group for…

|Field Notes 25/10/2023

The Study of Animal Intelligence and Its Human Bias (Part 2)

Now that we’ve discussed human bias in the study of animal intelligence, let’s explore in this second part the different…

|News 23/10/2023

Winding Down the Season

Although the cruise season is drawing to a close, marine mammals don’t seem like they’re quite ready to leave! Almost…

|Observation of the Week 19/10/2023

The Study of Animal Intelligence and Human Bias (Part 1)

Did you know that the octopus is able to solve puzzles and to dream? That pigs show signs of empathy?…

|News 19/10/2023

Spouts and Tail Slapping Displays

In the sometimes calm, sometimes choppy waters of the St. Lawrence, cetaceans have made some noteworthy appearances. The clearly visible,…

|Observation of the Week 12/10/2023

Humpback Whales: Between River and Sky

September 14, 2023 will remain a date forever engraved in my memory. It was a strange and surreal day, Which…

|Field Notes 11/10/2023

Mysteries of the Depths: Discover the Surprises Unearthed from the Seabed during Sediment Sampling in the Estuary

By Eliza-Jane Morin, Resource Management Officer, Parks Canada During the summer months, the Parks Canada conservation team in the Saguenay-St.…

|Field Notes 11/10/2023

Predator-Prey Monitoring: Incursion into the Food Chain of the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park

Once a week during the summer season, we carry out predator-prey monitoring in the lower estuary. The objective of this…

|Field Notes 10/10/2023

Autumn in the St. Lawrence

New whales continue to arrive in the St. Lawrence and marine diversity is matched only by the palette of colours…

|Observation of the Week 6/10/2023

Potential Impacts of Rising Ocean Temperatures on Whales

Undeniably, today’s environment is undergoing rapid, irreversible and radical transformations. Being entirely subject to the laws of natural selection, whales…

|News 5/10/2023

Dolphins Make Their Return to the Estuary

They swim in groups in successive leaps, a palette of colours radiating above the water surface. We can distinguish white…

|Observation of the Week 29/9/2023

Understanding the Past… One Phalanx at a Time

Ever look at a whale’s pectoral fins and wonder what lies beneath the skin? Enclosed in the rigid and resilient…

|Whale Q&A 28/9/2023

Unforgettable Sightings of Feeding Whales

Autumn is right around the corner for our queens of the seas, who are gearing up – quietly but surely!…

|Observation of the Week 21/9/2023

How do whales keep warm in frigid waters?

As part of Science Literacy Week taking place from September 18 to 24 under the theme “Energy,” the Whales Online…

|Whale Q&A 21/9/2023

Total Euphoria

A 2014 BBC documentary showed a pod of dolphins playing with a pufferfish, prodding and grabbing it with their beaks…

|News 14/9/2023

Otherworldly Bodies in the River

Despite the excitement caused by the long-awaited arrival of sperm whales in the gulf, a certain calm has now returned…

|Observation of the Week 14/9/2023

Rorquals in the Fjord and Sperm Whales

A new species is visiting the Gulf of St. Lawrence for the first time this year: the sperm whale. In…

|Observation of the Week 7/9/2023

Can whales be escorted by sound?

Did you know that a sound wave can travel through water at a speed of 5,400 kilometres per hour? In…

|Whale Q&A 7/9/2023

Whales at the heart of the St. Lawrence River

The magic of moments along the St. Lawrence is in abundance as August comes to a close. It's a graceful…

|Observation of the Week 5/9/2023

Art dedicated to whales – archival artwork by Maryse Goudreau

In a context where environmental concerns are at the center of discussions, it seems difficult to navigate through the different…

|News 31/8/2023

A blue whale in the Saguenay and Tic Tac Toe in Gaspésie!

What could be more impressive than a blue whale, the largest animal alive? Perhaps to see this immense whale make…

|Observation of the Week 24/8/2023

Fin whale breach: rare and enigmatic

The Mediterranean Sea is home to a unique population of fin whales that has evolved separately from the North Atlantic…

|News 24/8/2023

Cetacean Diversity in Full Swing

Blue whales? Up to three individuals have reportedly been observed in the estuary. Humpbacks? Several in Gaspé Bay, including a…

|Observation of the Week 17/8/2023
La propagation du son est 5 fois plus rapide dans l’eau que dans l’air. © GREMM

Echolocation in Land vs. Marine Animals

Echolocation is used by several animals such as bats, dolphins, toothed whales and some nocturnal birds. This technique allows animals…

|News 17/8/2023

Waters Vibrating with Life

The waters of the St. Lawrence are populated by a multitude of marine mammals: Tic Tac Toe is back for…

|Observation of the Week 10/8/2023

A Week on Gros-Cacouna Mountain

By Cristiane Albuquerque, ecologist and acting team lead at the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park I had the opportunity to spend…

|Field Notes 9/8/2023

Lucky Eight?

Eight humpback whales were identified over the past week in the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park. At the other end of…

|Observation of the Week 3/8/2023

The Jane Goodall Act

The question of how relevant and ethical (or unethical!) animal establishments such as zoos and aquariums are is highly debatable.…

|News 1/8/2023

A Look at the Iris

Compared to their giant bodies, the eyes of whales are quite small. It is often said that the eyes are…

|Whale Q&A 30/7/2023

Right Whales in the Gulf

What did the waters off Percé and those near Anticosti Island have in common this past week? Both were visited…

|Observation of the Week 27/7/2023

Do whales practise infanticide?

Did you know that in some terrestrial species such as the baboon, infanticide can cause up to 70% of all…

|Whale Q&A 25/7/2023

A Blue Horizon

The fog lifts after having shrouded Gaspé Bay for several days, meaning observers can finally admire the colourful panorama... and…

|Observation of the Week 20/7/2023

A Day Aboard the Ciktek in Pursuit of the Harbour Seal

Today, June 21, 2023, is National Indigenous Peoples Day. I want to emphasize this, since I will be sailing on…

|Field Notes 19/7/2023

Stars of the St. Lawrence

They exude an aura of magic that animates evening get-togethers along the shores of the St. Lawrence. Every year, visitors…

|Observation of the Week 13/7/2023

Cancer Protection in the Giants of the Animal Kingdom

Ever heard of Peto’s paradox? The latter states that the probability of developing cancer is unrelated to the number of…

|News 13/7/2023

Gaspar, Guadeloupe and Aramis Put on a Show!

Although the start of the season has been a quiet one, whales seem to have finally arrived in the St.…

|Observation of the Week 6/7/2023

One small population of indomitable freshwater seals still holds out, but for how long?

Ever heard of the mysterious and legendary achikunipi, as this animal is known to the Cree? Or the qasigiaq, the…

|News, Whale Q&A 6/7/2023

Best Practices to Adopt Near Seals

Although they are marine mammals, pinnipeds carry out a number of their most important activities out of water. Indeed, napping,…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 5/7/2023

Whales Identified in Côte-Nord!

In the Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park as well as in the Mingan and Sept-Îles sectors, humpback and fin whale sightings…

|Observation of the Week 29/6/2023

Should we be concerned about the low numbers of whales in the St. Lawrence River during the first few weeks of the season?

You’ve probably heard this question more than once since the start of the season! Our team therefore felt it might…

|News 29/6/2023

The Little Seal in Ragueneau

It’s late morning on Friday, June 2, when the phone rings. It’s the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network (QMMERN)…

|Field Notes 29/6/2023

How long can blue whales hold their breath?

The blue whale has a dive time that varies from around 10 to 30 minutes, which is not enough to…

|Whale Q&A 29/6/2023

Fascinating Stories

The weekly sightings column is not only a bit of a summary of everything that has been seen in the…

|Observation of the Week 22/6/2023

Two Breathtaking Scenes

The slow start to the 2023 season in the Lower Estuary continues, with still very few observations of large whales.…

|Field Notes 22/6/2023
Même s'ils n’ont pas une bonne vision, les yeux des bélugas, situés aux deux extrémités de leur tête leur permettent de bénéficier d’un large champ de vision. © GREMM

Super Soldiers of the Animal Kingdom!

A beluga ironically named Hvaldimir – Hval for “whale” in Norwegian – was first seen in 2019 off the coast…

|News 22/6/2023

Satellite Tagging: One More Step Toward Helping Entangled Cetaceans in Quebec

On May 23 and 24, several members of the team from the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network (QMMERN) and…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 15/6/2023

Large Rorquals in the Gulf

This week, large rorquals were present all around the gulf. A blue whale made an appearance near Sept-Îles, minke whales…

|Observation of the Week 15/6/2023
© Dr. Brandon Southall, NMFS/OPR

Interactions Between Killer Whales and Ships in the Strait of Gibraltar: A Challenge for Maritime Cohabitation

Why is the Strait of Gibraltar killer whale subpopulation increasingly interacting with boats? How did this behaviour originate? These are…

|News 15/6/2023

Humpbacks in the Gaspé and Concerns in the Estuary

After a quiet start to the season, humpback whales are now making a long-awaited return to Gaspésie, with between six…

|Observation of the Week 8/6/2023

A Strange Start to the 2023 Season…

I like it when these field notes are representative of our daily observations on the water. It goes without saying…

|Field Notes 8/6/2023

How about a few stories with happy endings? Chronicles of successes in marine mammal conservation

From an emotional standpoint, the world of conservation can often be quite difficult to navigate. Through our own activities, the…

|News, Uncategorized 7/6/2023

Spring is for Minke Whales

Even if the week was quiet in terms of observations, the presence of minke whales did add a little action…

|Observation of the Week 1/6/2023

Back on the Water

Tuesday, May 23, 2023. For amateur cetologist René Roy, this is his second time on the water this season. During…

|Observation of the Week 25/5/2023

The reasons behind an exceptional year for humpback

“First time ever,” “extraordinary,” “record...” After a while, observers describing the 2021 whale-watching season in the estuary began to run…

|News 24/5/2023
Bp920 rorqual commun

Fin Whales Are Back!

This week, marine mammals were not deterred by the snow and wind from parading up and down the St. Lawrence.…

|Observation of the Week 18/5/2023

Return of Tic Tac Toe

To begin these field notes, we first need to travel back in time to September 1999. It was one of…

|Field Notes 18/5/2023

Arrival of Tic Tac Toe

While some communities are eagerly waiting for the ice to break up on the local river or for the tulips…

|Observation of the Week 11/5/2023

Whales and Seals, Rain or Shine

The heavy rains and strong winds that pounded “La Belle Province” in recent days have certainly made watching marine mammals…

|Observation of the Week 4/5/2023

Symposium beluga 2023

In 1988, the International Forum for the Future of the Beluga was held. Just five years earlier, in 1983, the…

|News 3/5/2023

“The Humpbacks are Here!”

“You’ll see, tomorrow morning there will be humpbacks in Les Bergeronnes,” claims Renaud Pintiaux, a long-time observer forWhales Online. Gut…

|Observation of the Week 1/5/2023

Exciting Spring Arrivals

Another season is underway, and here I am once again with field notes that you will find posted on this…

|Field Notes 1/5/2023

Participatory Science: The Key to Conservation

Whether it’s by reporting your sightings or volunteering with a conservation organization, there’s no wrong way to get involved with…

|News 1/5/2023
Un groupe de marsouins communs

Little Porpoises, Large Spouts

Swimming in proximity to both a blue whale and a fin whale, the first harbour porpoises of the season made…

|Observation of the Week 20/4/2023

Earth Day 2023: 5 Things You Can Do to Help Whales

Since every little gesture counts when it comes to safeguarding the environment, the Whales Online team presents five actions that…

|News 20/4/2023

Round-up of 2023 North Atlantic Right Whale News

After being hunted for centuries, today’s North Atlantic right whales face many challenges, including entanglements with fishing gear, ship strikes…

|Hot Topics 13/4/2023

Solo or in groups, the cetaceans are back!

The list of marine species present in the St. Lawrence is getting longer and longer: blue whales and fin whales…

|Observation of the Week 13/4/2023

A third calf in three years for Tic Tac Toe?

Tic Tac Toe, an easily recognizable female humpback whale with a large “X” on her caudal fin, was seen several…

|Whale Q&A 13/4/2023
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

White Whales Mark the Return of Spring

This past week in the St. Lawrence, strong winds, inclement weather and rough seas did not make easy to observe…

|Observation of the Week 6/4/2023

Why are some whales two-tone?

Many whales feature both dark body parts and light body parts. This is the case for a number of species…

|Whale Q&A 5/4/2023

Encounters with Giants

The mysterious series of spout sightings that began last week continues, only this time we might actually be able to…

|Observation of the Week 30/3/2023

40th Year of Beluga Carcass Recovery Program: Persistent Concerns in 2022

Over the past year, 12 beluga carcasses were discovered adrift or on the shores of the St. Lawrence by the…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 30/3/2023

Tale of a Migration to Mexico

Since 2019, I ‘ve been making an annual migration to Mexico for a few months each year, more precisely to…

|Field Notes 30/3/2023

Mystery Whales

This week, eyes are shifting to the Gaspé in the hope of solving a very particular enigma… Large rorquals have…

|Observation of the Week 23/3/2023

A Brief Guide to Partial Necropsy

As part of a training course, my colleague and UMM technician Méduline Chailloux and I met on a Saturday morning…

|Field Notes 22/3/2023

Blue Whale Spout on the Horizon

Off the coast of Sept-Îles, a huge blast rises into the air, then another. Clearly visible from shore, these blows…

|Observation of the Week 16/3/2023

Right Whale Situation Proves Precarious Once Again

Between entanglements in fishing gear, ship strikes and climate change, the past few decades have been rough for the North…

|News 16/3/2023

Do whales have a navel?

Being mammals, whales have a lot more in common with us than you might think. From breathing to nursing to…

|Whale Q&A 14/3/2023

Between Doldrums and Delirium

Last week’s sightings article may have inspired some of you... One marine mammal enthusiast wrote to us that she even…

|Observation of the Week 9/3/2023

A “GREMMlin” at IMPAC5

From February 3 to 9, the Fifth International Marine Protected Areas Congress, IMPAC5, was held in Vancouver. The event was…

|Field Notes 8/3/2023

Katak the Brave Beluga: An Eye-opening Film on the Beauty of the St. Lawrence and the Fragility of Belugas

In the thrilling journey of a young beluga in search of his grandfather, the animated film Katak the Brave Beluga,…

|News 2/3/2023

In Search of Wonder

Over the past week, harp seals, harbour seals and belugas have been sighted along the north shore of the St.…

|Observation of the Week 2/3/2023

Winter Pupping Season: A Risky Affair

The diminishing ice cover observed in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence in recent years is having an impact…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 2/3/2023

From Swimming Giants to Flying Gulls

Sunny days, seabirds flying gracefully over the river as they forage for food, reflections in the crystal clear water and…

|Observation of the Week 23/2/2023
Rorqual commun

Synchronized Fin Whales

July 13, 2021. Several large spouts erupt off the coast of Sept-Îles. One, two, three blasts. Four, then seven, then…

|News 23/2/2023

Mirages and Blue Whale

A blue whale venturing near the coast, seals resting on blocks of ice, a solitary beluga that shows its tail…

|Observation of the Week 16/2/2023

Advancing Marine Mammal Research, One Sample at a Time

When a marine mammal carcass is found stranded or adrift in the waters of the St. Lawrence, the Quebec Marine…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 16/2/2023

Surviving Winter: A Whole Science!

Despite the arctic temperatures of the past week, the marine animals of the St. Lawrence do not seem to have…

|Observation of the Week 10/2/2023
Squelette

Whale Skeleton Preservation: Interview with Michel Martin, GREMM’s “Skeleton Master”

Anyone who has ever walked through the doors of Tadoussac’s Marine Mammal Interpretation Centre (CIMM) has undoubtedly gawked at the…

|Whale Q&A 7/2/2023

Calm Before the Big Cold Front

On the horizon, on the ice and in the waves, every week is different than the one before. Few marine…

|Observation of the Week 2/2/2023

A day at the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network

Saturday, September 17: The weather is beautiful and the participants of the Béluga Ultra Trail (web page in French) race…

|Field Notes 2/2/2023

Belugas and Drones: A Call for Caution

Although drones are useful tools for conducting marine mammal research, it is legitimate to wonder what impact they may have…

|News 1/2/2023

Winter Rorquals

It’s a white January morning and the wintry wind is blowing across the river when a local resident sitting cosily…

|Observation of the Week 26/1/2023

Goodbye whales, hello seals!

After causing a sensation two weeks ago with a remarkable presence in Percé and a few appearances in the Côte-Nord…

|Observation of the Week 19/1/2023

Where are whales’ brains located?

From odontocetes to mysticetes, whale anatomy varies from one species to another, even with regard to their heads! The sperm…

|Whale Q&A 19/1/2023

Deep-water denizen stranded in Sept-Îles

Last October 23, a True’s beaked whale beached itself and died in the Bay of Sept-Îles. The causes of this…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 19/1/2023

Ice and Surprises 

During the end-of year holiday season, the waters of the St. Lawrence quietly became cloaked in a sheet of ice…

|Observation of the Week 12/1/2023

Preventing Whale Entanglements with Ropeless Fishing Gear

Over the past several years, the novel field of ropeless fishing has been expanding thanks to the research and development…

|News 16/12/2022

Will we have a blue Christmas?

A pleasant visit to the St. Lawrence this week makes one want to hum the tune “Blue Christmas.” Not for…

|Observation of the Week 15/12/2022

Wintertime Seals, Whales and Belugas

This week, winter lovers were able to take advantage of the short, sunny days to admire seals, belugas, minke whales…

|Observation of the Week 8/12/2022

Top Picks for a Rich Whale Library

Many species of whales have left the St. Lawrence for the winter. Observing these cetaceans in the flesh in the…

|News 8/12/2022

North Atlantic Right Whales: On a Quest for Food

Since 2015, an uptick in the presence of North Atlantic right whales has been observed in the Gulf of St.…

|News 8/12/2022

Big gulps in the bay

The day is calm with a quiet whisper of a wind, while out in the bay, a few dark spots…

|Observation of the Week 1/12/2022

Avian Flu: First Documented Case in Cetaceans in Quebec

Last September, the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network received a report of an Atlantic white-sided dolphin carcass near Rimouski.…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 30/11/2022

Not one… not two… but six humpbacks!

This week, a few humpback whales were still present in the St. Lawrence and residents were even treated to an…

|Observation of the Week 25/11/2022

White as Snow… Or a Beluga!

As fluffy snowflakes invaded eastern Quebec and a white blanket quietly covered the ground, marine mammals continued on with their…

|Observation of the Week 17/11/2022

A Fossil Under the Magnifying Glass

Thirty years ago, the fossil of an Atlantic grey whale (Eschrichtius robustus) was misidentified as a humpback whale. The latter…

|News 17/11/2022

Humpback Whale Season Winding Down

As winter approaches, migratory whale species are slowly beginning to leave. Although humpback whales are becoming more scarce, the waters…

|Observation of the Week 10/11/2022

Do whales exhibit altruism? (Part 3 of 3) The example of cetaceans in the wild

Caring for sick, injured or dead individuals – otherwise known as epimeletic behaviour – is a common form of expression…

|Whale Q&A 10/11/2022

Between Mountains and the Sea: The Sounds of Cetaceans

Whether on a boat, at the docks or on shore, the echos of blowing whales can be heard. From humpback…

|Observation of the Week 3/11/2022

What is the status of whaling around the world?

Public opinion seems increasingly concerned about the future of whales, which have become over time a symbol of wildlife conservation.…

|Whale Q&A 3/11/2022

Action on the Horizon

Whether watching through their binoculars, through the lens of their camera or with their own two eyes while squinting from…

|Observation of the Week 27/10/2022

Do whales exhibit altruism? (Part 2 of 3) The example of dolphins

Like humpbacks, toothed whales (odontocetes) and dolphins in particular stand out for their altruistic behaviour. However, the nature of this…

|Whale Q&A 27/10/2022

Making Sense of Whale Taxonomy

By definition, taxonomy is a science aimed at studying the diversity of the living world. In this regard, organisms are…

|Whale Q&A 25/10/2022

Teamwork for Whale Protection

Protecting the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park requires teamwork. Research makes it possible to better understand various issues related to the…

|Field Notes 25/10/2022

Where do whales get their scars?

Some whales bear reminders of their past. Sometimes inconspicuous, sometimes more pronounced, scars of all shapes and sizes mark the…

|Whale Q&A 20/10/2022

Winds and Whales

One might think that the roller coaster temperatures of autumn are hardly conducive to marine mammal sightings. However, this is…

|Observation of the Week 20/10/2022

Snow Cone: Emblem of its Species’ Desperate Struggle

In December 2021, scientists felt a glimmer of hope when Snow Cone was spotted with a newborn, despite the fact…

|News 14/10/2022

Cetaceans by the Dozen

A dozen or so humpback whales have been observed in Gaspé Bay over the past week. A few individuals approach…

|Observation of the Week 13/10/2022

Fearful or Bold, Curious or Solitary… By Nature? Personality in Whales

The more time they spend watching and working with marine mammals, the more observers and scientists alike come to assume…

|Whale Q&A 13/10/2022

Recovery of a white-sided dolphin carcass in Rimouski

In the early afternoon of Monday, September 5, the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network call centre receives a report…

|Field Notes 11/10/2022

Are grey seals cannibalistic?

Although the grey seal feeds primarily on fish and crustaceans, it also seems to hunt and occaisonally feed on harbour…

|Whale Q&A 7/10/2022

Colourful Silhouettes

Whether it’s pods of white-sided dolphins repeatedly leaping out of the water, breaching minke whales or a blue whale blowing…

|Observation of the Week 6/10/2022

Eyes on the water

Every summer since 2003, the Parks Canada team has been scrutinizing the waters in and around Baie Sainte-Marguerite to tally…

|Field Notes 6/10/2022

Is approaching marine mammals with a drone legal?

With the growing popularity of drones, it is increasingly common to see spectacular images of cetaceans. From herds of migrating…

|News 6/10/2022

Autumn Winds

Mariners are well aware that in fall, storms often produce strong winds from the east or northeast. While some enthusiasts…

|Observation of the Week 30/9/2022

Do whales exhibit altruism? (Part 1 of 3) The Example of Humpback Whales

It is difficult to determine with certainty the altruistic character of a given animal behaviour. Indeed, guessing their motive is…

|Whale Q&A 29/9/2022

Five New Discoveries about the North Atlantic Right Whale

For scientists, the endangered North Atlantic right whale is a source of both fascination and concern. This is why a…

|News 29/9/2022

How is math used to study whales?

A favourite subject for some but dreaded by others, math can sometimes be applied in unusual ways. As part of…

|Whale Q&A 24/9/2022

Humpbacks, seals and belugas

This week, all up and down the St. Lawrence, humpback whales are topping the lists of observations, along with other…

|Observation of the Week 23/9/2022

The Belugas of Cacouna

“Hey look! Over there! A beluga!” Posted on our observation platform on the sacred mountain of Gros-Cacouna, Sami and I…

|Field Notes 20/9/2022

Fog-shrouded Waters

This past week was marked by the presence of fog almost all across the St. Lawrence. Mingan Islands, La Malbaie,…

|Observation of the Week 15/9/2022

Book of the Dead: Nearly 600 Beluga Carcasses Examined Over Past 40 Years

Every year, between 15 and 20 beluga carcasses are found and recovered along the shores of the St. Lawrence. Why…

|News 15/9/2022

White beaks, speckled grey backs and golden spouts

Out on the water, the mild conditions over the last few days have allowed for the observation of a number…

|Observation of the Week 8/9/2022

Dolphin, harbour porpoise or…fish ?

It is a beautiful evening of observation, a magnificent sunset, a refreshing breeze, a most grandiose panorama. The eyes turned…

|Observation of the Week 1/9/2022

Dorsal Fins, From Killer Whales to Narwhals

Scanning the vast, nutrient-rich waters of the St. Lawrence, any keen-eyed observer may ask a very simple but essential question…

|Whale Q&A 1/9/2022

Colourful St. Lawrence

This week in the St. Lawrence, giants of all colours amazed young and old observers alike. From grey seals to…

|Observation of the Week 25/8/2022

Surveying Whale-Watchers to Better Protect Whales

Ever since the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park was created in 1998, a large number of protective measures have been put…

|News 24/8/2022
Narval

Big Return of a Small Cetacean

This week, there was action in the St. Lawrence! In addition to the usual species that seem to be just…

|Observation of the Week 18/8/2022

Invasive Aquatic Species Project

The week of July 11 to 15 marked the second year of sampling for our project in collaboration with Fisheries…

|Field Notes 18/8/2022

Are there fewer whales in the St. Lawrence this season?

On both shores of the St. Lawrence, many folks are concerned about the paucity of whales observed in the river…

|News 15/8/2022

Marine Observation Activities

Since 1994, sampling has been conducted on nearly 3,000 excursionsin the heart of the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park by the…

|Field Notes 11/8/2022

Exceptional Tours in the Estuary

Everyone was surprised this week when not one, but two endangered species ventured into the St. Lawrence Estuary: one North…

|Observation of the Week 11/8/2022

A Drive Down the “Whale Trail”

Between Tadoussac and Kegaska, Route 138 hugs the coast of Quebec’s Côte-Nord region for over 850 kilometres. Dotted with magnificent…

|Observation of the Week 4/8/2022

Harbour Seals in St. Lawrence Affected by Avian Flu

Last June, the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network (QMMERN) received an abnormally high number of reports of dead or…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 2/8/2022

Whales with Microplastics in their Bellies

Problems related to plastic garbage in our oceans and waterways have been with us for many years now. What’s more,…

|News 2/8/2022

Swimming against the current

After the pioneering belugas that ventured into Baie des Ha! Ha! last week, this week it is the humpbacks’ turn to…

|Observation of the Week 28/7/2022

Entangled Humpback – A Chronicle

On Wednesday, July 13, a humpback whale was spotted off the coast of Les Escoumins accompanied by a calf that…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 26/7/2022

A Day in the Field with the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network

On the evening of June 20, 2022, the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network (QMMERN) gets wind that a harbour…

|Field Notes 21/7/2022
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

Exploratory Belugas

Belugas made headlines this week when a group of a dozen or so individuals was observed in Baie des Ha! Ha!…

|Observation of the Week 21/7/2022

A Day in Good Company

On Sunday, July 3, a minke whale carcass was found on Île Vertein Quebec’s Bas-Saint-Laurent region. This is practically the…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 14/7/2022

Memorable Observations

When it comes to marine mammals, sometimes no two days are alike. For several weeks, a resident of Tadoussac had been…

|Observation of the Week 14/7/2022

Living According to the Rhythm of the Whales

There are enormous benefits to working and living in whale country.  Now my home base, Tadoussac is a tourist destination for…

|Observation of the Week 7/7/2022

“Now the season can start!”

A certain enchantment can sometimes develop between whales and the naturalists who observe them. For naturalist and wildlife photographer Renaud…

|Observation of the Week 30/6/2022

Tracking harbour seals in the fjord – a memorable first day in the field! June 6, 2022

The arrival of spring is synonymous with change. The days are getting longer, multiple species of whales are returning to…

|Field Notes 28/6/2022

Spring 2022: A Busy Season for QMMERN 

Seal pups harassed on the beaches, discovery of pinniped carcasses along the shores, vagrant minke whales in Montréal: these are…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 23/6/2022

A Funny Coincidence

Belugas took full advantage of their first day of calm in the Saguenay Fjord. Many light-coloured backs were present in…

|Observation of the Week 23/6/2022

Action Near the Coast

From the small harbour porpoise to the titanic blue whale: the wide range of sightings offered by the St. Lawrence…

|Observation of the Week 16/6/2022

Why are baby belugas born brownish-grey before changing color?

Newborn belugas are born brownish before becoming grey-blue and then completely white. This gradual change of color is a common…

|Whale Q&A 16/6/2022

Humpbacks Stealing the Show!

Exuberant, splashy, and ubiquitous, humpback whales sometimes tend to turn our attention away from other cetaceans. And not only when…

|Observation of the Week 9/6/2022

A spout to kick off the day

Sometimes you have to get up at the crack of dawn if you want to be rewarded with exciting observations.…

|Observation of the Week 2/6/2022

Seals That Don’t Need Our Help

Spring is here and the seal pupping season is in full swing. The Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network (QMMERN)…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 30/5/2022

Encounter with Pilot Whales

Do pilot whales impatiently look forward to spring just to cross paths with amateur cetologist René Roy? One thing is…

|Observation of the Week 26/5/2022

Struggling Right Whale in the Gulf of St. Lawrence

For over a week now, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has been attempting to locate a North Atlantic right whale…

|News 26/5/2022
Des bélugas dans l'eau

Climate Change Compromising Beluga Recovery

Despite the 1979 ban on commercial whaling that decimated the St. Lawrence beluga and the implementation of numerous protection measures,…

|News 25/5/2022

White Tails and Brown Calves

Small white backs speckled the St. Lawrence with their presence this week. Thursday, May 12, at the ferry terminal in…

|Observation of the Week 19/5/2022

Minke Whales Up and Down the St. Lawrence!

From Montréal to Sept-Îles and Gaspésie, there’s been a lot of talk about minke whales this week. While these small…

|Observation of the Week 12/5/2022

Minke whale updates

This page is dedicated to the presence of two minke whales in the waters of Montreal. It is updated several…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 11/5/2022

Minke Whales in Montreal – Your Questions

Two minke whales have been observed in Montreal, near St. Helen's Island. The first individual has been in the area…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 9/5/2022

Like a polar bear in Gaspésie…

This week, the most amazing marine mammal sighting is undoubtedly the presence of a polar bear in the Gaspé Peninsula.…

|Observation of the Week 5/5/2022

What do killer whales eat?

We all have in mind that killer whales are super-predators that can attack the largest animals on the planet: blue…

|Whale Q&A 3/5/2022

First Beluga Carcass Discovered in Les Escoumins

This is the first beluga whale carcass recovered for the 2022 season under the carcass recovery program initiated in 1983.…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 29/4/2022

Return of the Minke Whales

They may be the smallest representatives of the rorqual family, but minke whales have been getting a lot of attention…

|Observation of the Week 28/4/2022

What does GREMM do in winter? (2/2)

[Continuation of article “What does GREMM do in winter? (2/2)”] Every winter, when the whales leave the Estuary, many of…

|Field Notes 25/4/2022

Pascolio and Easter Weekend

On Saturday, while scanning the Estuary through her binoculars, one local resident saw a funny-looking white spot from the rental…

|Observation of the Week 21/4/2022

Mortality 2021: An Ominous Year for Belugas

2021 will be no exception. Once again, researchers and specialists are concerned by the mortalities being observed in the St.…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 19/4/2022

Spring Arrivals

Every year, when the month of April kicks off in the Haute-Côte-Nord region, an indescribable emotion begins to flow through…

|Field Notes 18/4/2022

First Humpback in the Estuary

Armed with his camera, wildlife photographer Renaud Pintiaux sets up on the shore of Cap de Bon-Désir this past Monday.…

|Observation of the Week 14/4/2022

What does GREMM do in winter? (1/2 )

When fall arrives and the whales leave the St. Lawrence Estuary for the winter, GREMM takes its boats out of…

|Field Notes 13/4/2022

Are blue whales really blue?

That might sound like a funny question! After all, isn’t the blue colour of Balaenoptera musculus, in addition to its…

|Whale Q&A 11/4/2022

“Thar she blows!”

The excitement is palpable this week on the shores of the St. Lawrence! For the past few days, the same…

|Observation of the Week 7/4/2022

Return of the Gannets

There’s been a lot of action in the Gaspé this week! In addition to spotting harbour seals every day in…

|Observation of the Week 31/3/2022

15 Calves Spark Hope for Right Whales

From November to April, North Atlantic right whales give birth to their calves in the warm waters off Florida and…

|News 30/3/2022

All the news on North Atlantic right whales in 2022

The North Atlantic right whale is a particularly vulnerable cetacean species, currently numbering fewer than 350 individuals. The survival of…

|Hot Topics 28/3/2022

Right Whale Protection Measures Renewed for 2022

On Thursday, March 10, Fisheries and Oceans Canada announced the protection measures that will be put in place this year…

|News 28/3/2022

Vacation Memories… Humpback Style!

We know where H858, also known as Queen, and H879 spent their holidays! No, these two humpbacks did not send…

|Observation of the Week 24/3/2022

Humpback Whale ‘Rumba’ in Mexico

For the past few years, I’ve been making the occasional winter trip to Mexico, just for the sake of warming…

|Field Notes 21/3/2022

Signs of Spring

After a long winter, residents are beginning to see patches of open water in the St. Lawrence’s coat of ice…

|Observation of the Week 17/3/2022

Volunteers Needed for Marine Mammal Emergencies

Volunteers are our eyes and our hands in the field. In addition to helping the scientific community gain vital knowledge…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 17/3/2022

Are beluga biopsies harmful?

Since 1994, GREMM’s research team has been conducting a long-term biopsy program (article in French) on the beluga population of…

|Whale Q&A 15/3/2022

Ice Dwellers

Monday evening, from the window of her home in Sept-Îles, a local resident peers outside to admire the blazing sky…

|Observation of the Week 10/3/2022
Béluga du Saint-LaurentBéluga du Saint-Laurent

Crystal Clear Waters

Cetaceans in sight for the first time weeks! On February 25, it was from the docks in Les Escoumins that…

|Observation of the Week 3/3/2022

How much food does a blue whale eat?

Tipping the scales at up to 135 tonnes, the blue whale is the largest animal on our planet. Seeing the…

|Whale Q&A 28/2/2022

An Oral Plug to Prevent Whales from Choking on Seawater

The rorqual family includes the largest animals on the planet. In order to satisfy their gargantuan energy needs by gulping…

|News 24/2/2022

Skies and Oceans

Between two snowstorms, all eyes turn to the waters of the St. Lawrence, scanning the horizon for marine mammals. It…

|Observation of the Week 24/2/2022

CIMM Presents Virtual “Bones with Stories to Tell” Exhibition

The Marine Mammal Interpretation Centre (CIMM) is coming to you! Our collection of cetacean skeletons – the only one of…

|News 17/2/2022

A little head poking above the water

When the north winds quiet down, the surface of the St. Lawrence ends up looking like a mirror, frozen solid…

|Observation of the Week 17/2/2022

A Quick Glance at the World of Whales

So many pinnipeds in this chilly week of February! That’s what several observers from the Côte-Nord region have been telling…

|Observation of the Week 10/2/2022

Masturbation and Functional Clitoris: Dolphins’ Sexual Life Revealed

It is widely known that some animal species, including humans and bonobos, engage in sexual activity outside of their breeding…

|News 8/2/2022

Destination Azores with Expedition Glacialis (Part 2 of 2: The Science)

By Mathieu Marzelière with the collaboration of Laurence Tremblay [Continuation of article “Destination Azores with Expedition Glacialis (Part 1 of…

|Field Notes 7/2/2022

Winter Doldrums

No backs, no spouts, not even the shadow of a tail. Zero, zip, zilch. “No whales this week,” a number…

|Observation of the Week 3/2/2022

Destination Azores with Expedition Glacialis (Part 1 of 2: Marine Fauna)

By Mathieu Marzelière with the collaboration of Laurence Tremblay Laurence and I work for GREMM as research assistants. For several…

|Field Notes 3/2/2022
béluga hors de l'eau

How do whales see us?

Powerful yet elegant, cetaceans are majestic beings for humans to observe. But how do they see us? In colour or…

|Whale Q&A 27/1/2022

Giants Under the Ice

On the St. Lawrence, it’s ice and more ice as far as the eye can see! In the Gaspé, where…

|Observation of the Week 27/1/2022

Braving the Cold

Do you see what I see? Between the frigid winds, snow squalls and ice floes forming on the St. Lawrence,…

|Observation of the Week 20/1/2022

Twelve Years of Encounters with Humpback Whale H626 (a.k.a. BBR/Gaspar)

For many years now, I have regularly gone out on the water every summer as well as a good part…

|Field Notes 19/1/2022

Are whales righties or lefties?

Approximately 90% of humans are right-handed, preferring to use their right hand for writing and carrying out daily tasks, while…

|Whale Q&A 19/1/2022

On the Ice Floes

A polar cold snap swept across Quebec this week, bringing with it blustery winds, thick fog and fresh snow, adding…

|Observation of the Week 13/1/2022

Was the narwhal seen in the St. Lawrence in 2021?

Is the narwhal still in the region? Is it still associating with belugas? How is it doing? Many of you…

|Whale Q&A 13/1/2022

Some Belugas More Affected than Others by Underwater Noise

Underwater noise is a major issue in the protection St. Lawrence belugas, which rely on sound to find their way,…

|News 11/1/2022

To Michael Moore, “We Are All Whalers”

North Atlantic right whales are one of the most vulnerable cetacean species on the planet. With less than 350 individuals…

|News 7/1/2022

Lament of the seals

“Cré-moé, cré-moé pas, quelque part en Alaska, y a un phoque qui s'ennuie en maudit” (Believe it or not, somewhere…

|Observation of the Week 6/1/2022

Multiple Births and Low Mortality Spell Good Year for North Atlantic Right Whales

One of the most critically endangered cetacean species in the world, the North Atlantic right whale has been under close…

|News 5/1/2022

Marine Mammal Emergencies on the Ready this Holiday Season

While the end-of-year holidays are a good time to relax and celebrate with family, the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 16/12/2021

Lingering Humpbacks and More in Frigid St. Lawrence

As the year draws to a close, fireplaces are crackling, winds are whipping and Quebec’s landscapes are gradually being covered…

|Observation of the Week 16/12/2021

Why do whales migrate?

Every year, the whales of the St. Lawrence travel thousands of kilometres between Quebec and their wintering grounds. A humpback…

|Whale Q&A 15/12/2021

Blows after the storm?

Between a winter storm, pounding winds and turbulent waters, this week’s weather conditions made it difficult to observe marine mammals.…

|Observation of the Week 14/12/2021

2021 Season Raises Questions

By René Roy For several years now, I’ve been plying the waters of the St. Lawrence in order to observe…

|Field Notes 13/12/2021

2021: Another Busy Year for Marine Mammal Emergencies

By Mélissa Tremblay, Head of the Marine Mammal Emergencies call centre Beginning in November, Marine Mammal Emergencies (UMM)  generally receives…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 3/12/2021

One Final Outing…

By Renaud Pintiaux, naturalist and wildlife photographer   The whale-watching season in the waters between Tadoussac and Les Escoumins ended…

|Field Notes 3/12/2021

Geyser-like Spouts at the Water Surface

Clearly, Saturday was an eventful day in Gaspé Bay. On Saturday morning, two humpback whales were breaching repeatedly off the…

|Observation of the Week 2/12/2021

New Whale Species Discovered

Field observations are not the only way to discover new animal species. Through lab analyses of preserved skeletons and samples,…

|News 29/11/2021

Colorful Bubbling at Sea

Friday morning, from the top of the dunes in Tadoussac, an avid birder spots some splashing in the middle of…

|Observation of the Week 25/11/2021

Why put a price on a whale?

How much is a whale worth? According to a 2019 study conducted by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), a large…

|Whale Q&A 23/11/2021

Do albino whales exist?

They stand out from other members of their species by their unusual whiteness. They are known as albinos. Like land…

|Whale Q&A 17/11/2021

Singing seals

“It’s been a quiet week for whales,” admits a resident of Percé, “but grey seals have been abundant. From our…

|Observation of the Week 16/11/2021

“Window on Belugas” project receives $600,000 in funding from the Quebec government

On Monday, November 15, 2021 at 2:30 p.m., a press conference was held in Cacouna to announce the Government of Quebec’s…

|News 12/11/2021

Porpoises Galore!

In summer, harbour porpoises are often seen moving in large groups of up to several dozen individuals. This time of…

|Observation of the Week 11/11/2021

With the Belugas… Collecting Biopsies

By Laura Zeppetelli This fall, I had the opportunity to leave my office in downtown Montréal to board the Bleuvet…

|Field Notes 9/11/2021

Why are fin whales so fast?

Nicknamed the “greyhound of the sea,” the fin whale is the fastest of any of the large rorquals that frequent…

|Whale Q&A 9/11/2021

North Atlantic Right Whales: Climate Refugees

The North Atlantic right whale population is down to approximately 350 individuals and is critically endangered. The recovery of this…

|News 8/11/2021

Calm Waters

As the mercury drops, the weather grows harsher and boats are being docked for the winter, whales are setting out…

|Observation of the Week 4/11/2021

Why is it important not to touch a marine mammal carcass?

By Marie-Maude Rondeau Ever heard of Valleau, the sperm whale whose carcass washed ashore in L’Anse-à-Valleau in 2003? Today, this…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 4/11/2021

Climate Change Triggers Shifts in Fin Whale Diets

As predators, fin whales are considered generalists, capable of hunting and feeding on a variety of prey ranging from zooplankton…

|News 1/11/2021

Whales on the Move!

After being present in large numbers in the Estuary this summer, the whales now seem to be heading east and…

|Observation of the Week 28/10/2021

Travelling back in time with a narwhal tusk

The tusk of the narwhal – a long spiral-shaped tooth that can measure nearly 3 metres long – makes a…

|News 27/10/2021

In the Wake of Sea Monsters

As Halloween approaches, horror stories abound! Amongst sources of inspiration for spooky legends, the ocean has always been a great…

|News 25/10/2021

Stealthy sperm whale?

Through his spotting scope, a birder posted at the Tadoussac dunes suspects he saw an unusual visitor on Sunday. The…

|Observation of the Week 21/10/2021

Mom, can you hear me?: The Challenge of Beluga Calves in the St. Lawrence

Biologist Valeria Vergara has always assumed that newborn belugas produce very soft vocalizations, making them particularly vulnerable to underwater noise.…

|News 15/10/2021

Chorus of Seals on the Rocks

On this Thanksgiving Monday afternoon, a group of kayakers is quietly paddling toward the dock at L'Anse-de-Roche when they hear…

|Observation of the Week 14/10/2021

When do the whales of the St. Lawrence migrate?

“Are the whales expected to arrive anytime soon? Are there any whales still in the area? How long will they…

|Whale Q&A 13/10/2021

Humpback Serenades Begin in September in Canada

As the autumn foliage grows brighter and the days grow colder, the humpback whales in Canadian waters are slowly beginning…

|News 12/10/2021

Two Beaked Whales Stranded Alive in Chaleur Bay

On Thursday, September 30, the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network (QMMERN) receives a report of two whales stranded alive…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 7/10/2021

The Aquatic Ballet of Dolphins

Thousands of successive leaps over the surface of a sparkling sea. White-sided dolphins were present by the hundreds off Port-Cartier…

|Observation of the Week 7/10/2021

Initiatives for Responsible Whale-Watching

This year, the Eco-Whale Alliance is celebrating its 10th anniversary! Established by sea excursion companies, GREMM, Sépaq and Parks Canada,…

|News 5/10/2021
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

Will whales be packing their bags soon?

In this final week of September, marine mammal sightings are slowly petering out with the end of the tourist season.…

|Observation of the Week 30/9/2021

What is ghost gear?

If you follow whale-related issues at all, you’ve probably already heard of ghost gear. Some of our readers might be…

|Whale Q&A 28/9/2021

Why is Baie Sainte-Marguerite closed to watercraft in summer?

[Updated on September 28th] Once again this year, from June 21 to September 21, the Baie Sainte-Marguerite sector remained off-limits…

|Whale Q&A 28/9/2021

Magical Moments

This week has been tinged with a majestic full moon and temperatures reminiscent of balmy summer evenings. With the onset…

|Observation of the Week 23/9/2021

With the Belugas… An overview of our 2021 projects

By Alexandre Bernier-Graveline How do you imagine the day-to-day life of a member of GREMM’s research team? Hair blowing in…

|Field Notes 22/9/2021

Winds of Change Sweeping Across the St. Lawrence

Across Quebec, colder weather is gradually setting in. Northerly winds are beginning to blow, announcing the arrival of fall and…

|Observation of the Week 16/9/2021

With the mobile team… and a beluga carcass

By Marie-Maude Rondeau This summer, I’m working as a responder for the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network (QMMERN). I’m…

|Field Notes 15/9/2021

Sperm Whales!

On September 5, 2021, i.e. the Sunday before Labour Day, the excitement was palpable in Tadoussac. With over 500 visitors…

|Observation of the Week 9/9/2021

WITH THE BELUGAS… OUR FIRST FIELD SEASON ON GRANDE-ÎLE

By Jaclyn Aubin This summer, I was lucky enough to pass two weeks on the Grande-Île de Kamouraska, accompanied by…

|Field Notes 8/9/2021

Cetacean, whale, rorqual… one and the same?

The vocabulary used to talk about our whales can sometimes be confusing. Should we say “marine mammal,” “cetacean,” “whale,” or…

|Whale Q&A 7/9/2021

A Question of Identity

A narwhal that thinks it’s a beluga, unidentifiable humpbacks and minke whales in search of recognition. This week, the whales…

|Observation of the Week 2/9/2021

Decoding Killer Whale Friendships with Drones

Much like humans, killer whales can’t choose their family, but they can at least decide which of their little cousins ​​they want…

|News 1/9/2021

Life in Blue!

This week, we were able to admire the milky blue of a mist-laden sky, the dark bluish-black waters of the…

|Observation of the Week 26/8/2021

With the Large – and Awe Inspiring! – Rorquals

By Mathieu Roy As a research assistant, I have the chance to spend part of my days aboard whale-watching cruises…

|Field Notes 24/8/2021

Eight Things You Might Not Know About Beaked Whales

Are you familiar with beaked whales? If the answer is “no”, you are probably not alone. Even researchers know relatively…

|News 23/8/2021

Siam, Tic Tac Toe, Cédille and co.

This week in the St. Lawrence was rich in sightings both magical and emotional: the return of Siam to the…

|Observation of the Week 19/8/2021

With visitors (and belugas!)… at the Pointe-Noire Interpretation and Observation Centre

Whether on water or on land, the research activities carried out by the Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals (GREMM)…

|Field Notes 19/8/2021

Southern Resident Killer Whales: J-Pod Missing for 108 Days

Since 2013, the southern resident killer whale population has been exhibiting unusual behaviours that are worrying scientists. Strangely enough, this…

|News 16/8/2021

Whales Aplenty!

“It’s awesome out there! There are humpbacks, fins, minkes... It’s non-stop!” exclaims photographer Renaud Pintiaux. At high tide in the…

|Observation of the Week 13/8/2021

Wounded seal: what to do?

As you pace the shores of the St. Lawrence, you come face to face with a seal. So far, nothing…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 11/8/2021

Writing a Popular Science Article in 10 Easy Steps

In my after-work hours, I write poetry. Drafting texts on whales is quite new to me. When I joined the…

|Field Notes 9/8/2021

Whales in words and pictures at the CIMM (more!)

You don’t always need to see whales live to fall under their charm. Thanks to the selection of books (all…

|News 9/8/2021

North Atlantic Right Whales: Shrinking Giants!

We’ve known that North Atlantic right whales are less and less abundant, with a population currently estimated to number fewer…

|News 5/8/2021

The Magic of Dawn and Dusk

It was a bountiful week on the St. Lawrence this week, with spectacular marine mammal viewing to locals and visitors…

|Observation of the Week 5/8/2021

Conceiving the Inconceivable (2/2): Templates for Humpback Whale Songs

As early as the 1980s, whale song research pioneer Roger Payne stated that “It is inconceivable that such rapid and…

|News 5/8/2021

With large rorquals… in the rain!

My name is Stéphanie, and I’m one of GREMM’s (Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals) research assistants for…

|Field Notes 3/8/2021

Here one day, gone the next!

Season after season, tide after tide, the St. Lawrence River is like a beating heart. Marine currents, prey availability, and…

|Observation of the Week 29/7/2021

A Beautiful Story of Collaboration, from the Caribbean to the St. Lawrence

Many of the humpback whales observed in summer in the St. Lawrence spend part of the winter in their breeding…

|Field Notes 28/7/2021

Regional Assessment of St. Lawrence for Better Informed Choices in the Future

In the context of environmental assessments of development projects in the St. Lawrence, the issue of cumulative effects is often…

|News 28/7/2021

Conceiving the Inconceivable (1/2): Metamorphosis of Humpback Whale Songs

Cultural transmission is a widely-accepted hypothesis within the scientific community to explain the movement and transformation of humpback whale songs through space…

|News 27/7/2021

Keeping one’s distance to keep them safe

Whether you’re on the shores of the St. Lawrence or sailing in its waters, there’s always a chance for a…

|Observation of the Week 22/7/2021

GNL Québec’s Énergie Saguenay Project Rejected on Climate Grounds

On July 21, Environment Minister Benoit Charette announced that his government was rejecting GNL Québec's Énergie Saguenay project, a highly…

|Hot Topics 22/7/2021

Ode to the next generation, the deformed and seafaring nomads

The sun is setting over the beach in Les Bergeronnes and the sky is a palette of pinkish hues. With…

|Observation of the Week 15/7/2021

What do we mean by “fidelity” when we talk about whales?

It is sometimes said that Tic Tac Toe, Capitaine Crochet or Ti-Croche are “faithful” whales, but what does this really…

|Whale Q&A 15/7/2021

First-ever Detailed Portrait of Whale Incidents in Eastern Canada

For the first time ever, data on whale incidents in eastern Canada has been compiled in a single report. Produced…

|News 15/7/2021

Documentary “The Loneliest Whale”: The Importance of Epic Stories to Raise Public Awareness

In the documentary The Loneliest Whale: The Search for 52, a group of scientists sets out to find a whale…

|News 14/7/2021

Beached Fin Whale in Forillon National Park

On June 19, an employee of Forillon National Park discovers a fin whale carcass at the bottom of a cliff…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 13/7/2021
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

How does a whale carcass differ from an animal at rest?

Upon seeing a whale floating oddly on the water surface, do you decide to immediately jump overboard and save it…

|Whale Q&A 12/7/2021
MN

“It’s Alive Out There!”

Porpoises, seals, sharks, small fish and seabirds... even when big blasts are conspicuous by their absence, the St. Lawrence remains…

|Observation of the Week 9/7/2021

Where do Minke Whales Go in Winter?

In the fall, nearly all baleen whales in the St. Lawrence head for warmer waters in the South, where they…

|Whale Q&A 8/7/2021

Travelling Back in Time with Embryos!

What if we could observe the different stages of evolution that a species has undergone by studying a single individual?…

|News 1/7/2021

Frozen Moments in the Mist

“It’s tough to find a good weather window this week!” rants René Roy, collaborator for the Mingan Island Cetacean Study…

|Observation of the Week 1/7/2021
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

Belugas, Belugas Everywhere: Overview of Out-of-Range Belugas this Spring

From Matane and Bonaventure, Quebec to Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, belugas seem to be everywhere this…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 29/6/2021

Allocare in Belugas: Still a Mysterious Behaviour

Perched atop a tower in the middle of Baie Sainte-Marguerite, Jaclyn Aubin peered down on belugas for two summers (2017…

|News 28/6/2021

Creatures of Habit

Wednesday morning, just as the team from the Marine Mammal Interpretation Centre (CIMM) begins its workday, time stands still for…

|Observation of the Week 25/6/2021

Migration in Full Swing

Migration is truly underway in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and is in full swing at the tip of the…

|Field Notes 23/6/2021

What are the main causes of mortality in seals?

At the call centre for the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network, 80% of reported cases involve seals, whether they…

|Whale Q&A 22/6/2021

Familiar Markings and Tail Slaps in the Water

As I’m driving down Highway 132, my eye is suddenly drawn out to sea. From the dark, rolling water spews…

|Observation of the Week 21/6/2021

Role Play in Porpoises

Rarely studied in Quebec, porpoises were recently the focus of a study on feeding behaviours. Using drones, researchers at the…

|News 14/6/2021

Field Season Debut and the Return of Two Stars: Tic Tac Toe and Ti-Croche!

Back on the water for the 2021 season. It should be a great summer offshore, between Tadoussac and Les Escoumins.…

|Field Notes 14/6/2021

Dinner is served!

“The capelin are rolling like crazy here in the Gaspé,” says one observer. “At least ten humpbacks have been tallied…

|Observation of the Week 10/6/2021

Busy Start to the Season at Marine Mammal Emergencies

As is the case every year, the arrival of warm, sunny days is synonymous with an uptick in the number…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 9/6/2021

Do Whales Have Hair?

All mammals have hair. At first glance, this characteristic seems completely incompatible with the image we have of whales, animals…

|Whale Q&A 9/6/2021

On the lookout for big blasts

Friday, May 28: It’s barely the crack of dawn on the dunes of Tadoussac when Laetitia from the Tadoussac Bird…

|Observation of the Week 3/6/2021

Leatherback Turtle Carcass in Gaspé

In late April, a local resident discovers a very decomposed carcass on Haldimand Beach in Gaspé. All that remains are…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 3/6/2021

Season Kicks Off at Marine Mammal Interpretation Centre

Tadoussac’s Marine Mammal Interpretation Centre (CIMM) will open its doors on June 7. After months in the dark, the fifteen…

|News 3/6/2021

Baby Seals and Solitary Belugas

While some observers, with their eyes glued to the water, are thrilled to see the white backs of belugas and…

|Observation of the Week 27/5/2021

Protecting Young Harbour Seals on the Beaches

In May and June, many residents will have the opportunity to observe young seals on the beaches, as it is…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 27/5/2021

Ocean Week: From Education to Action

From June 1 to 8, 2021, the first Quebec edition of Ocean Week will take place. Orchestrated by the environmental…

|News 27/5/2021

One year later, what can we learn from the humpback whale’s journey from Québec City to Montréal?

It left millions astonished, concerned, dazzled and sensitized, even as the province was under lockdown. The juvenile (2 to 4 years…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 21/5/2021

Minke whales putting on a show!

While large whales are still mostly absent in the St. Lawrence, minke whales are taking the opportunity to steel the…

|Observation of the Week 21/5/2021

New Tools Available to Maritime Industry for Marine Mammal Protection

The Marine Mammal Observation Network (MMON), the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) and the St. Lawrence Global Observatory (SLGO)…

|News 21/5/2021

400-Metre Regulatory Distance for Blue Whales Proving Effective

In the presence of watercraft, blue whales reduce both the duration and depth of their dives. A recent simulation-based study…

|News 19/5/2021

Singer Pomme Releases Song for Belugas

To underscore her concern for wildlife conservation and especially for belugas, singer Pomme chose to write a tune about these…

|News 17/5/2021

Right Whale Disentanglement in New Brunswick

On Tuesday, May 11, a major release operation was attempted to come to the aid of Snow Cone, a North…

|News 14/5/2021
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

Belugas’ Age Written in Their Skin

Determining the age of a wild beluga is quite a challenge. So when American researchers announce that they are developing…

|News 13/5/2021
© Steve Baker

How do whales show their emotions?

Whales produce viscous tears (article in French) that serve to protect their eyes from debris. Are these tears also used…

|Whale Q&A 13/5/2021

Amazing Pilot Whales

It is perhaps the least known marine mammal species in the St. Lawrence. And for good reason: sightings are occasional…

|Observation of the Week 12/5/2021

Minke Whale Calf

Side by side, two minke whales swim off Pointe Noire near the town of Baie-Sainte-Catherine. One of them is clearly…

|Observation of the Week 7/5/2021

Recognizing the culture of whales in order to better protect them

If we truly want to protect whales – and other species as well for that matter – biologists must understand…

|News 6/5/2021
Un groupe de marsouins communs

Porpoises, Already!

Porpoises are usually expected in these parts beginning in late June. But this year, at least two harbour porpoises have…

|Observation of the Week 28/4/2021

Resting, Pupping and Moulting: The Importance of Getting Out of the Water for Seals

Even if they are marine mammals, seals have to return to land for some of their activities. Amphibious in nature,…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 23/4/2021

“Secrets of the Whales”: Diving Deeper after Watching the Series

They love. They mourn. They play. They share. Whales live in complex societies, each with its own culture. This is…

|News 22/4/2021

Under the Bellies of Cetaceans, Under the Fur of Seals

On April 15, a seasonal resident of Pointe-des-Monts takes advantage of the mild weather in April to open his chalet…

|Observation of the Week 21/4/2021

Do whales fart?

Judging by the search engines, the question has created quite a buzz: are whales capable of emitting flatulence, gas... in…

|Whale Q&A 15/4/2021

Blue Whales, Fin Whales, Humpbacks… All at Once!

The island of Newfoundland forms an obstacle between the Atlantic and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. If you’re a whale…

|Observation of the Week 15/4/2021

First Minke Whale in the St. Lawrence and Le Souffleur in the Caribbean

Every spring in late March or early April, the smallest of the rorquals is usually the first of the seasonal…

|Observation of the Week 8/4/2021

United Nations Kicks off Decade of the Oceans

When the United Nations launches a theme, it’s not merely symbolic. From 2021 to 2030, the theme will be the…

|News 6/4/2021

First Beluga Carcass of 2021 Found in Tadoussac

On March 27, a beluga carcass was discovered in Tadoussac by an individual who was out for a stroll. The…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 1/4/2021

What is it that I see?

One of the challenges of whale watching is how long it takes for but a fraction of a body to…

|Observation of the Week 1/4/2021

Seals Invade the Shorelines

Now that the ice has receded from the St. Lawrence, seals must find new platforms out of the water to…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 29/3/2021

GNL Québec: BAPE Commissioners Concerned for Beluga

Quebec's environmental assessment agency, the Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement (BAPE), which has been tasked with evaluating the Énergie Saguenay…

|Hot Topics 25/3/2021

Humpbacks and Belugas in the Gaspé

On the other end of the line, his voice cracks with excitement. Jean Roy is the owner of Gaspé-based cruise…

|Observation of the Week 25/3/2021

Technological Innovation: Filming the Secrets of Sleeping Humpbacks

When researchers placed a camera on the back of a humpback whale, they probably weren’t expecting an hour-long video during…

|News 24/3/2021

The Thrill of the Season’s First Spouts

In eastern Quebec, the weather is getting milder, migrating birds are beginning to arrive, and icebreakers are freeing the waters…

|Observation of the Week 18/3/2021

Exciting Observation that Sparks Bad Memories

On February 19, a senior officer of a cargo ship passing through the St. Lawrence Estuary photographed blue whales off…

|Field Notes 17/3/2021

Seals Delighted by Late Pack Ice

After a fairly mild winter, the St. Lawrence, parts of which have been ice-covered only for a few weeks even…

|Observation of the Week 11/3/2021

Does the limited amount of ice on the St. Lawrence affect the seal species that spend the winter there?

This year, the decline in ice cover on the St. Lawrence, a trend that began a few decades ago, is…

|Whale Q&A 11/3/2021

Educational Podcasts on Marine Mammals

Itching to set sail in search of marine mammals? Virtual experiences are available thanks to the following list of podcasts…

|News 8/3/2021

What’s happening with North Atlantic right whales in 2021?

With a total population estimated to number fewer than 350 individuals, the North Atlantic right whale is one of the…

|Hot Topics 5/3/2021

Two New Right Whale Mortalities

In the span of just a few weeks, two North Atlantic right whale carcasses were discovered off the coast of…

|News 5/3/2021
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

Belugas Weathering the Storm

Off Les Bergeronnes, a herd of forty to fifty belugas frolic. GREMM Scientific Director and beluga expert Robert Michaud interrupts…

|Observation of the Week 4/3/2021

Harbour Porpoise Succombs to Dolphin Attacks

For the harbour porpoise, human activities are not the only threats it faces. The smallest cetacean in the St. Lawrence…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 2/3/2021

With the Belugas… Seen and Measured from the Sky!

By Alexandre Bernier-Graveline and Mathieu Marzelière For GREMM’s research team, winter is usually synonymous with compiling, processing and analyzing images…

|Field Notes 25/2/2021

Global Round-up of Whale News

Whale and seal sightings are scarce these days. Over the course of the past week, we’ve received reports of a…

|Observation of the Week 25/2/2021

North Atlantic Right Whale Protection Measures Maintained

The Government of Canada has just announced what measures will be taken this year to protect North Atlantic right whales…

|Hot Topics 18/2/2021

Whale Day: A Few Actions to Lower the Risks to Marine Mammals

Around the globe, many people are concerned by the plight of cetaceans. February 19 is the international day dedicated to…

|News 18/2/2021

A Humpback and a Blue Whale on the North Shore

Two large rorquals sparked a good deal of excitement this week: a humpback whale in the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park…

|Observation of the Week 18/2/2021

A Woman Committed to Science: Mélissa Tremblay

From tourism to geography, Mélissa Tremblay’s career path ultimately led her to the Group for Research and Education on Marine…

|News 11/2/2021

Valentine’s Day, Cetacean Style

Signs of affection, saying “I love you” and showing it with sweet gestures. Such is the essence of Valentine’s Day.…

|News 11/2/2021

One in Two Fin Whales Already Entangled

The number of fin whales frequenting the Gulf of St. Lawrence that bear entanglement marks and scars is much higher…

|News 11/2/2021
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

Belug-ice

Between the snow squalls, a small group of belugas weaves its way through the ice floes off Les Bergeronnes on…

|Observation of the Week 11/2/2021

Young Grey Seal Found in Magdalen Island Interior

When a young grey seal is found nearly a kilometre inland in the Magdalen Islands, what’s the best course of…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 5/2/2021

Harp Seal Season

“I’ve never seen so many seals on this side of the peninsula,” exclaims one observer posted in the Gaspé town…

|Observation of the Week 4/2/2021

St. Lawrence Temperatures on the Rise in 2020

The environment of cetaceans in the St. Lawrence Estuary and Gulf is changing. Peter Galbraith, physical oceanographer at Fisheries and…

|News 4/2/2021

With the whales of Hawaii… virtually!

Looking for a getaway? Here’s a chance to do just that. The 15th edition of Whale Tales will be held…

|News 3/2/2021
La balise tient près de la nageoire dorsale.

From Tadoussac to the Bahamas: The Journey of Ti-Croche the Fin Whale

The fin whale Bp955, a.k.a. “Ti-Croche”, has just revealed precious secrets on the migratory movements of its species. On October…

|News 1/2/2021

Are the social relationships of belugas similar to our own?

Belugas live in remarkably complex societies with very diverse relationships, so much so that they might be considered closer to…

|News 29/1/2021

Aramis the Humpback in the Dominican Republic!

In winter, the majority of humpback whales that frequent the St. Lawrence are believed to be hundreds of kilometres away,…

|Observation of the Week 28/1/2021

Following Comprehensive Analysis, Cause of Death of Montréal Humpback Remains Undetermined

Despite having analyzed cross-referenced data on the body condition, behaviour and the carcass of a female humpback that visited Montréal,…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 27/1/2021

New Population of Blue Whales Discovered Thanks to Unique Song

New observations of blue whales have been made in the waters of the Arabian Sea and in the northwestern corner…

|News 26/1/2021

Novel Measure to Protect Southern Resident Killer Whales

Frequenting British Columbia waters, the southern resident killer whale population is estimated to number approximately 72 individuals. On January 14, the…

|News 26/1/2021

Michel Moisan, GREMM’s Irreplaceable Jack-of-All-Trades

GREMM Lead Technician Michel Moisan has a strong interest in electronics combined with a keen analytical talent to quickly identify…

|News 25/1/2021
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

Where’s the ice?

As one might expect during the winter, whale sightings are becoming increasingly scarce. A few belugas and scattered large spouts…

|Observation of the Week 22/1/2021

North Atlantic Right Whale Births Give Cause for Hope

The breeding season for North Atlantic right whales is in full swing. As of January 22, 2021, 17 healthy calves…

|News 20/1/2021

How does a collision affect a cetacean’s social life?

When discussing the impacts of an accident between a ship and a marine mammal, we generally focus on the physical…

|Whale Q&A 19/1/2021

Cetaceans: Champion Divers

One of the challenges of observing whales is the long dives that the animals take. The lives of whales take…

|Observation of the Week 14/1/2021

Whale Fossils Reveal Their Secrets

In 2020, a fossil dating from the Oligocene was studied in South Carolina by a US research team. The fossil…

|News 7/1/2021

Patience Pays Off

The 2019-2020 holiday season had been particularly busy with sightings, to the point that we published a map of the…

|Observation of the Week 7/1/2021

Five Promising Initiatives to Prevent Collisions with Whales

Imagine that your dining room, your bedroom and your child’s day care were constantly being driven through by high-speed vehicles.…

|News 5/1/2021

When it comes to whales, how can we remain optimistic about the future?

In the realm of conservation and research, long-term efforts to further our knowledge about cetaceans and protect them continue. This…

|Whale Q&A 18/12/2020

Why go to the Caribbean when you have the St. Lawrence?

Observers are simply astonished to report the continued presence of minke whales, humpbacks and fin whales once again this week.…

|Observation of the Week 17/12/2020

Rare Striped Dolphin Discovered in Maliotenam

It is quite unusual for a striped dolphin to be found anywhere in the St. Lawrence, to say the least.…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 16/12/2020

Cetacean Stranded Alive: Call First

Whether it is a whale, a porpoise or a dolphin that you find stranded on the beach or swimming in…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 15/12/2020

Bearded Seal and Large Spouts

Its bushy whiskers glisten in the afternoon sunlight. Its little head approaches a rock. For a minute or so, the…

|Observation of the Week 9/12/2020

Generosity For Your Loved Ones… and For Whales, Too!

The 2020 holiday season will come with its share of challenges, just like the periods of adaptation that we all…

|News 4/12/2020

The Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network Thanks Its 187 Volunteers

What would the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network (QMMERN) be without its 187 volunteers? Thanks to the 160 hours…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 3/12/2020

More Action in the Gaspé

For residents of the Gaspé, whales are still entertaining observers, while elsewhere sightings are becoming increasingly rare. On November 28…

|Observation of the Week 3/12/2020

Voluntarily Lowering One’s Heart Rate to Dive Safely

Because they live in water and must constantly dive to forage or to move, cetaceans have developed a great number…

|News 3/12/2020

Is inbreeding a problem for endangered whales?

There are believed to be around 360 North Atlantic right whales left in the world, and probably fewer than a…

|Whale Q&A 26/11/2020

Foraging Minke Whales

When passing close to shore, minke whales can swim lazily or slice through the water like rockets. These days, observers…

|Observation of the Week 26/11/2020

Dolphin Runs Aground in Magdalen Islands But Returns to Sea

A dolphin found itself in an awkward position on November 21 near Gros-Cap, in the Magdalen Islands. Out for a…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 26/11/2020

Feasting and Breaching!

Minke and humpback whales are soaring in the air these days, while other members of their species bustle about at…

|Observation of the Week 19/11/2020

Could one be eaten by a whale?

In the animated film Pinocchio, the famous puppet is swallowed by a whale, then lives in its belly for a…

|Whale Q&A 16/11/2020

Do whales produce saliva?

As we know, whales are big eaters and can detect their prey from afar, some species thanks to their sense…

|Whale Q&A 13/11/2020

Kayakers in the mouth of a humpback: lessons learned

The video of two kayakers getting caught in the mouth of a humpback has been viewed around the world. Off…

|News 12/11/2020

Whale concert in Gaspé Bay

Late in the day on November 9, a symphony of spouts resonates off the coast of Cap-aux-Os in the Gaspé…

|Observation of the Week 12/11/2020

Just 356 North Atlantic right whales left!

Until recently, researchers still spoke of a population of some 400 North Atlantic right whales. But new estimates released last…

|News 5/11/2020

The ice is back… And so are the winter seals!

Whether on shore, on the rocks or on ice, seals can appear throughout the Gulf of St. Lawrence or the…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 5/11/2020

White Spouts in the Chilly Air

If you are a seasoned observer (read: hundreds of hours of observation at a minimum) and weather conditions allow, certain…

|Observation of the Week 5/11/2020

With the Belugas… Season Ends with First Snow

Field notes written in collaboration with Laurence Tremblay A field season full of surprises is coming to an end for…

|Field Notes 5/11/2020
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

Holding on to Beauty

A white beluga swims with a darker-skinned beluga at its side. Most likely a mother and her calf. The two…

|Observation of the Week 29/10/2020
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

Beluga Carcass in Cacouna

A beluga carcass washed up in Cacouna on October 18, 2020. This young male is the fifteenth beluga to be…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 26/10/2020

What is the impact of offshore drilling on whales?

While three oil drilling projects off the coast of Newfoundland are being fast-tracked by the Canadian government, one faithful reader…

|Whale Q&A 22/10/2020

To go, or not to go?

From Cap de Bon-Désir in Les Bergeronnes, Renaud Pintiaux counts two humpbacks and eight fin whales through his binoculars on…

|Observation of the Week 22/10/2020
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

Public Consultation on Marine Noise: Add Your Two Cents!

Fisheries and Oceans Canada is organizing a public consultation on the impact of noise in Canada’s oceans, and you are…

|News 20/10/2020

Right Whales in the Estuary: Exceptional Response for an Exceptional Presence

Among its many missions, the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network (QMMERN) manages cases of marine mammals known as “vagrants”,…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 15/10/2020

Cruises Finished… Sightings Continue!

In the past few days, the whale-watching cruise season has ended, both on the North Shore and in the Gaspé Peninsula.…

|Observation of the Week 15/10/2020

Can bioluminescence cause the St. Lawrence to glow?

It’s 9 in the evening, and a group of ten or so kayakers venture out onto the St. Lawrence with…

|Whale Q&A 14/10/2020

They’re still here!

As Quebec slowly gets deeper into autumn, foliage reaches its peak and the wind gusts and rain grow more intense,…

|Observation of the Week 9/10/2020

Black: Colour of Hope

This past week in the St. Lawrence Estuary, it was a funny-looking rounded black back with a V-shaped breath that…

|Observation of the Week 1/10/2020

Fin-Blue Hybrids: A New Challenge for Blue Whale Conservation?

The existence of hybrids resulting from the cross between the two largest animals in the world – the fin whale…

|News 28/9/2020

“The Best Season”

Early fall is the best time of year for whales!” says Renaud Pintiaux, who has been watching cetaceans nearly every…

|Observation of the Week 24/9/2020

Swimming in a River of Pollutants: Belugas Believed to be Four Times More Contaminated Than Minke Whales

Just how contaminated are the belugas of the St. Lawrence? This very question became the research topic of Antoine Simond…

|News 21/9/2020

Fall Dolphins

“What? Dolphins? Here?” wonders one reader. For many people, when the talk turns to dolphins, the first thing that comes…

|Observation of the Week 17/9/2020
rorqual bleu

Why is the blue whale so big?

It is bigger than the largest dinosaur. And it weighs roughly 25 times more than the largest living land animal,…

|Whale Q&A 16/9/2020
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

Harbour porpoise or beluga?

Although the beluga is sometimes referred to as a “white porpoise” and has several similarities to the harbour porpoise, the terms “beluga”…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 14/9/2020

Herds of Whales

One after the other, cavernous blows burst into the air, leaving six white, cylindrical columns that slowly fade into oblivion.…

|Observation of the Week 10/9/2020

With visitors… at the Marine Mammal Interpretation Centre in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic

Whether on water or on land, the research activities carried out by the Group for Research and Education on Marine…

|Field Notes 9/9/2020

Globetrotters and Giant Sleepers

In summertime, are you the type of person who returns year after year to the same campsite or same chalet,…

|Observation of the Week 3/9/2020

With the belugas… photographed from shore

Since 8 o’clock in the morning, GREMM (Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals) research assistant Mathieu Marzelière has…

|Field Notes 3/9/2020
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

Moratorium Requested in Saguenay to Protect Belugas

More than half of all St. Lawrence belugas and two-thirds of females frequent the Saguenay. This finding was made by…

|Hot Topics 3/9/2020
DL dents

What do St. Lawrence belugas eat?

It may seem surprising, but up until a few months ago, the diet of the St. Lawrence beluga was not…

|News, Whale Q&A 1/9/2020

Right Whales, Ocean Sunfish and Beluwaves

Raging winds over the St. Lawrence have been stirring up waves there since August 25. Landbound observers scan the sea,…

|Observation of the Week 27/8/2020

Breaching Fin Whale and Moments of Grace

There are pictures you only take once in your life. This one comes to us from off the coasts of…

|Observation of the Week 25/8/2020

Seals in Town

In 2020, four different species of seals were observed in the Montréal metropolitan region, hundreds of kilometres from their normal…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 21/8/2020

Stray Whales: Lost or Just Exploring?

Every so often, a solitary whale makes headlines. It might be a beluga seen off the coast San Diego, California,…

|News 18/8/2020

Troubled Humpback in the Marine Park

Updated to August 25, 2020 Despite active search parties by fishery officers and collaborators, the entangled humpback whale was not…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 18/8/2020

Sanctuary for Retired Belugas: Another Step Toward a Natural Habitat

The first two residents of a whale sanctuary have now been swimming in Klettsvik Bay since August 8, 2020. Belugas…

|News 18/8/2020

The Fragile Immensity of the Blue Whale

The largest animal on Earth – even bigger than the largest dinosaur – the blue whale impresses with its sheer…

|Observation of the Week 13/8/2020

Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network Sets Up Mobile Team

In order to be able to respond more quickly and efficiently to emergencies involving marine mammals along the shores of…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 11/8/2020

A Little Peace and Quiet for Belugas

Once again this summer, Baie Sainte-Marguerite will be closed to navigation from June 21 to September 21. Since 2018, navigation…

|News 10/8/2020

Boaters Urged to Contribute to Research

Like thousands of other pleasure boaters, do you enjoy taking advantage of warm summer days to operate your craft in…

|News 6/8/2020

Narwhal Still Present in the St. Lawrence

On August 4, a speckled back contrasts with the white backs of belugas swimming below the Pointe-Noire land observation platform…

|Observation of the Week 5/8/2020

Research in the St. Lawrence Stalled This Summer

Normally, whale experts up and down the St. Lawrence would have begun their research a long time ago. However, the…

|News 4/8/2020

Expanded Marine Mammal Interpretation Centre Opens!

After months of diligent efforts, a work site put on hold by COVID-19 measures and numerous challenges along the way,…

|News 30/7/2020

Action in the Gaspé and the Estuary

Atlantic white-sided dolphins by the hundreds, fin whales by the dozens, acrobatic humpbacks: observers in the Gaspé have had plenty…

|Observation of the Week 30/7/2020

With the Large Rorquals… New Mothers and a Whale Swimming Backward!

What a pleasure it is to cross paths with large rorquals! This week, we encountered two blue whales, nearly a…

|Field Notes 28/7/2020

Inside the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network Call Centre

What happens on the other end of the line while and after a case is reported to the Quebec Marine…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 28/7/2020

Let’s get loud

Have you ever heard a minke whale feeding at the surface? What a ruckus! An explosive spout is heard and,…

|Observation of the Week 23/7/2020

Are whales diurnal or nocturnal?

Within the animal kingdom, most species adjust their periods of sleep and activity according to a repeated 24-hour cycle called…

|Whale Q&A 22/7/2020
DL juvenile échoué

Reporting Carcasses: What’s the point?

The answer is simple: by reporting a carcass to the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network (QMMERN), you are helping…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 20/7/2020

When they move, they move!

July 9: Off the coast of Matane, a humpback whale takes a dive. All eyes focus on its black-and-white tail;…

|Observation of the Week 16/7/2020

How do whales go months without eating?

When fall returns, the humpbacks of the St. Lawrence head to the Caribbean for the winter. In the space of…

|Whale Q&A 14/7/2020

Some Days You Get Lucky, Some Days You Don’t

The number of observers on the water and on shore is on the upswing. However, some days, despite all their…

|Observation of the Week 9/7/2020
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

With the Belugas… And Start of the 2020 Season

This year, GREMM’s (Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals) season of field research kicked off on June 15.…

|Field Notes 9/7/2020

400 Right Whales Left… Now What?

How many North Atlantic right whales are left in the world? If the answer today hovers around 400, for researchers,…

|News 6/7/2020

First Right Whale Carcass: Another Calf Struck by a Ship

The first North Atlantic right whale carcass in 2020 was spotted during an aerial survey on June 25, drifting off…

|News 6/7/2020

Belugas in Baie Sainte-Marguerite Bay and return of the dolphins

July 1, Fjord-du-Saguenay National Park. In the dusty light at the end of the day, light breaths appear for a…

|Observation of the Week 2/7/2020

Skeletons Moved to Tadoussac’s Marine Mammal Interpretation Centre

Friday, May 15, 9:30 a.m. Fully dressed and knapsack ready to go, I can hardly wait to kick off this special…

|Field Notes 28/6/2020
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

Belugas and minke whales take centre stage

After a week brimming with observations, local residents have noted a slow-down in whale activity in recent days. Is the…

|Observation of the Week 26/6/2020
Souffle EG Baleine noire

Right Whale Protection Measures: Highs and Lows

Since the start of the year, news concerning protection measures specific to North Atlantic right whales has been like a…

|News 25/6/2020

Young Bearded Seal in Laval

A young bearded seal is observed from June 23 to June 28 at the BoBiNo marina in Laval. This species…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 25/6/2020
Béluga carcasse

What is the purpose of this tag and chord?

Many people are concerned by the tags and chords they occasionally see attached to a seal or whale carcass. Sometimes,…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 18/6/2020

Can we rid whales of their pollution?

Pollution can accumulate in whales' bodies and cause them serious health problems. “Can we flush this pollution out of a…

|Whale Q&A 18/6/2020

Whales and Calves

Witnessing a whale accompanied by a baby – also known as a calf – brings observers great joy. But when…

|Observation of the Week 18/6/2020

A Little Stroll Out to Sea

With the return of warmer weather, kayakers and boaters are setting out to go fishing, enjoy the saline air or…

|Observation of the Week 12/6/2020

Various Cases Keeping Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network Busy

Although all the projectors have been on the stray humpback whale between Québec City and Montréal, this individual is not the…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 12/6/2020

Dead Humpback Found in Varennes Victim of Ship Strike

On June 10, the team from Université de Montréal’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine performed a necropsy on the whale, meaning…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 11/6/2020

Visiting Humpback in Fluvial Estuary (Québec City – Montréal)

The humpback as an ambassador for a greater cause We understand the emotional aspect of the situation. Local residents who…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 8/6/2020

Breaching Near the Docks, Feeding Near the Beach

It’s not just the humpback whale in Montréal that’s making waves! On June 1, an observer takes advantage of a…

|Observation of the Week 5/6/2020

My dream is to swim with dolphins or whales. What would be the impact of such an activity?

In many places around the globe, ecotourism organizations offer the opportunity to swim with marine mammals. Whether we’re talking about…

|Whale Q&A 3/6/2020
MN à Montreal Juin 2020

Sometimes, Best Way to Help Whale is to Leave It Alone

Many people have been writing to us to express their concern about the humpback whale currently in Montréal. We appreciate…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 3/6/2020

Things are picking up again!

Five greyish-blue backs contrast with the still snow-capped Chic-Chocs in the Gaspé. A black back near the bridges of Québec…

|Observation of the Week 28/5/2020

Dawn of a Promising Season

A few days ago, I set sail out of Matane with a friend of mine. In the protected waters between…

|Field Notes 27/5/2020

Do different killer whale ecotypes communicate in the same way?

Following our article on the various killer whale ecotypes, one reader asked whether killer whales of different ecotypes are able…

|Whale Q&A 26/5/2020

2019 Beluga Mortality Report

“Mortality figures for 2019 are hardly reassuring,” comments Robert Michaud, scientific director for the Group for Research and Education on…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 21/5/2020

First Beluga Carcass of 2020 on the Shores of the St. Lawrence

A beluga carcass washed ashore in Matane late in the day on May 15. This is the first case this…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 21/5/2020

New Record Season in Sight for Humpbacks?

The jagged black-and-white tails of humpback whales are prompting shouts of joy from observers in Les Bergeronnes, Franquelin and Port-Cartier’s Rivière-Pentecôte sector this…

|Observation of the Week 21/5/2020

North Atlantic Right Whales Disturbingly Unfit

It is widely known that the North Atlantic right whale population is struggling, but a study has recently underscored just…

|News 19/5/2020

Putting One’s Pregnancy “On Pause”

In spring, many observers report seeing seals on the shores of the St. Lawrence. The sun is out more and…

|News 15/5/2020
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

A Cumulus in the Water and a Whale in the Sky

Observers occasionally send us some of their whale photos. Depending on the species, GREMM’s team examines these photos in the…

|Observation of the Week 14/5/2020
EG Baleine noire empetree

2020 North Atlantic Right Whale Monitoring

The endangered North Atlantic right whale is subject to special surveillance and protection measures. Since 2017, the species has been…

|Hot Topics 14/5/2020

Up-close Footage of Nursing Humpback

This video went viral on social networks around the globe. And for good reason. How awesome to view the world…

|News 13/5/2020

Arrival of Right Whales Triggers Protective Measures

After wintering in the coastal waters of Florida and Georgia, right whales are back in the Gulf of St. Lawrence!…

|News 7/5/2020

Six Species of Whales Reported

During the summer months, thirteen species of whales feed in the rich waters of the St. Lawrence. Some species are…

|Observation of the Week 7/5/2020

Are there actually several species of killer whales?

Certainly you know that there are several species of whales and many species of dolphins. But did you know that…

|Whale Q&A 6/5/2020

“Navigating Whale Habitat”: Free Training for Boaters and Kayakers

Are you an avid kayaker, sailboater or motorboat enthusiast, and do you frequent the St. Lawrence or the Saguenay? The…

|News 1/5/2020

No Whaling in Iceland This Year

In Iceland, the two main commercial whaling companies have announced in the past few days that they will not be…

|News 30/4/2020

Future sanctuary for captive Belugas in Nova Scotia

Creating a “retirement home” in the open sea that is capable of providing the best possible living conditions for whales…

|News 30/4/2020

You want whales?, here you go!

For cetacean enthusiasts, April is synonymous with the return of these great migrants. Increasing numbers of them are coming to…

|Observation of the Week 30/4/2020

White Backs, Black Backs, Grey Backs and a Hunchback!

From Haute-Côte-Nord to Charlevoix, belugas continue to delight observers. On April 24, a herd of about seven was spotted swimming…

|Observation of the Week 30/4/2020

Can whales suffocate?

After a week of severe weather in September 2019, a naturalist from the whale-watching outfitter Croisières Escoumins wondered whether whales…

|Whale Q&A 29/4/2020
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

An Extra Boost from the Tide

April 15: “I’m watching a herd of belugas entering the Saguenay right now,” remarks Renaud Pintiaux on the other end…

|Observation of the Week 16/4/2020

Vagrant Alert: Beluga Seen in Chaleur Bay Area

On April 15, a beluga was observed in Chaleur Bay near Saint-Siméon-de-Bonaventure, in the Gaspé Peninsula. Witnesses contacted the Quebec…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 16/4/2020

Quiet Oceans: Has The Covid-19 Crisis Reduced Noise In Whale Habitats?

By Valeria Vergara, researcher with Ocean Wise’s Marine Mammal Conservation Research Program, specialist of acoustic communication in beluga whales and collaborator…

|Field Notes 16/4/2020

Are whales affected by COVID-19?

This question comes to us via our Whales Online Facebook page: Could the current COVID-19 pandemic affecting humans around the globe…

|Whale Q&A 14/4/2020
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

One, two, seven… twelve belugas!

In the course of our round of calls, most of our observers say they are delighted to be seeing migrating…

|Observation of the Week 14/4/2020

Intriguing Cases Involving Seals in the Magdalen Islands

Seven seal carcasses were reported in the Magdalen Islands and one in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region over the weekend of April…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 8/4/2020
petit rorqual

COVID-19: Whales in Your Living Room – Part II!

Whether you’re on the North Shore or in the Gaspé Peninsula, when you live near the St. Lawrence, it’s easy…

|News 8/4/2020

Large Rorquals in Cap-des-Rosiers

"Finally, our first observation of 2020!” writes in an observer residing in Cap-des-Rosiers in the Gaspé Peninsula. On March 29, a…

|Observation of the Week 2/4/2020

COVID-19: Whales in Your Living Room

Whether you’re on the North Shore or in the Gaspé Peninsula, when you live near the St. Lawrence, it’s easy…

|News 2/4/2020

New Measures: Impact of COVID-19 on Capacity to Respond to Marine Mammal Emergencies

In order to comply with current government guidelines for COVID-19, the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network (QMMERN) is continually…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 1/4/2020

Humpback Whale Attacked by Great White Sharks

Researchers witnessed a rare event in Mossel Bay, at the southern tip of the African continent: two great white sharks…

|News 1/4/2020
Un plongeur nage près d'une épave couverte d'algues

Is sinking a ship to create a reef dangerous for whales?

This question comes from residents of Godbout, a small village in Quebec’s Côte-Nord region. In this municipality, starting point of…

|Whale Q&A 27/3/2020

Impact of COVID-19 on Emergency Response Capacity of Marine Mammal Emergencies

The Marine Mammal Emergencies call centre remains active as usual, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. If you…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 27/3/2020

First Report of a Minke Whale in 2020

We received the first report for 2020 of a minke whale in the St. Lawrence! It was an individual out…

|Observation of the Week 26/3/2020

A Fourth Generation Humpback Calf!

Good news! Aramis, daughter of the famous humpback whale Tic Tac Toe, recently gave birth to her very first documented…

|News 26/3/2020
Rorqual bleu s'alimentant

How do we know how big a blue whale gulp is?

For researchers, studying the giants of the seas is no easy task! For example, how do they quantify how much…

|Whale Q&A 24/3/2020

Using Barnacles to Reconstruct Ancient Whale Migrations

Whales, which have been around for roughly 30 million years, are estimated to have reached their current size 4.5 million…

|News 19/3/2020
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

Slower boats, quieter boats?

In 2017, Ruth Joy and her team (ECHO) conducted a study on the correlation between speed limit reductions and noise…

|News 19/3/2020

Spring of the Seals

“72!” That’s how many seals our collaborator Laeticia Desbordes is lucky enough to observe and carefully tally early this week…

|Observation of the Week 18/3/2020

Two Blue Whales Amidst the Ice Floes

The engines of the Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker CCGS Amundsen vibrate beneath the feet of researchers hailing from a dozen…

|Observation of the Week 12/3/2020

Antibiotic Treatments for Whales: A Challenge

Across Canada and the US in early January, North Atlantic right whale experts, marine mammal veterinarians and whale rescue specialists…

|News 11/3/2020

Record Migration of Killer Whale Confirmed with Photo-ID

In early February, an adult male killer whale was spotted off the coast of Lebanon, near Beirut. A rare occurrence…

|News 11/3/2020

North Atlantic Right Whales: New and Continuing Measures in 2020

Speed limits reduced to 10 knots in certain areas, closure of fishing zones, increased surveillance: the Government of Canada has…

|Hot Topics 28/2/2020
Béluga du Saint-LaurentBéluga du Saint-Laurent

Belugas: Whales Suited for Winter

When you’re passionate about whales, you really are. For the past fifteen years, Renaud Pintiaux has been a volunteer, employee,…

|Observation of the Week 20/2/2020

Catch Me If You Can: A Week at the Saddle Island Haulout

6:30 a.m.: The alarm goes off, sounding the start of a new day in the field. I’m not in Tadoussac,…

|Field Notes 13/2/2020

Two Humpbacks off Pointe-des-Monts

Pointe-des-Monts, February 8: You don’t need a thermometer to know the air is frigid: sea smoke hangs over the St.…

|Observation of the Week 13/2/2020

GNL Québec Promises Fund to Curb Underwater Noise Pollution

In a press release, GNL Québec has undertaken to set up a $5M fund to support projects reducing the underwater…

|News 13/2/2020

Marie-Hélène D’Arcy: GREMM’s Keenest Eye

To mark International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the Whales Online team decided to retrace the journey of technician Marie-Hélène D’Arcy,…

|News 11/2/2020

Born in Warm Waters

Before heading south to more temperate climates, let’s take a brief look at sightings here in the St. Lawrence. Posted…

|Observation of the Week 7/2/2020

Calving Humpback Caught on Film for First Time

February 3, off the coast of Maui, Hawaii: The captain of a whale-watching cruise observes three humpback whales. According to…

|News 6/2/2020

Skeleton Preparations Move Forward

At the time of his most recent interview with a Whales Online intern in the fall of 2018, Michel Martin,…

|Field Notes 3/2/2020

Born on the Ice

Humpback whales travel to warm Caribbean waters to give birth, while North Atlantic right whales calve in the waters of…

|Observation of the Week 31/1/2020

Is it possible to collect dead whale skin in the St. Lawrence?

One reader sent us this video from Blue Planet Live in which researchers were collecting pieces of dead skin that…

|Whale Q&A 29/1/2020

Deep Thinkers: Inside the Minds of Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises: journey into the world of cetaceans

A new publication on marine mammals. Long fascinated by cetacean intelligence, Janet Mann, professor of biology and psychology at Washington,…

|News 27/1/2020

Is it normal to see so many whales in winter?

In early January, GREMM (Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals) received numerous calls from observers claiming to have…

|Whale Q&A 17/1/2020

Ice: Marine Mammals’ Friend… and Foe

"The ice is starting to form": this observation is being made almost everywhere along the St. Lawrence of late. Its…

|Observation of the Week 16/1/2020

North Atlantic Right Whale: Dismal Record Mitigated by Mobilization

The future is an increasingly gloomy one for the North Atlantic right whale, an endangered species whose numbers have been…

|News 9/1/2020

Surprising Numbers of Whales as 2020 Kicks Off

Blues, fins, humpbacks. Minke whales. Belugas. Even harbour porpoises! Not to mention thousands of harp seals and harbour seals. The…

|Observation of the Week 8/1/2020

Two Beats a Minute Underwater: A Lesson in Blue Whale Cardio!

In an uncommon exercise in cetacean research, a team successfully placed a tag with electrodes on the back of a…

|News 6/1/2020

A Few Seals and Minke Whales

With the onset of winter, observations are becoming fewer and farther between. Most cetaceans have migrated to the Caribbean or…

|Observation of the Week 16/12/2019

Calf and Female Mortality in Belugas: “Problem No. 1”

November 9, 2019: The Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network receives a report of a female beluga carcass on the…

|News 9/12/2019

World Marine Mammal Conference in Barcelona: Spotlight on the St. Lawrence!

Some 2,500 biologists, veterinarians, conservationists and wildlife managers from 95 countries are gearing up to gather in Barcelona for the…

|News 9/12/2019

In Search of the Sperm Whale

November 27: In GREMM’s (Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals) offices in Tadoussac, staff members are busy working…

|Observation of the Week 4/12/2019

Is ice a significant natural threat to blue whales in the Gulf?

Revisiting the photos I took this past summer, I pondered some of the specific markings I had observed on blue…

|Field Notes 2/12/2019

Dozens of Humpbacks and Thousands Of Seals Linger On

With the short days of November and the appearance of the first ice, observers on the water are growing more…

|Observation of the Week 2/12/2019
Christian Ramp

Observer Portraits: Christian Ramp

This article is part of a series of portraits of people involved in some way with whales on the North…

|Observation of the Week 27/11/2019
Paulette Landry

Observer Portraits: Paulette Landry

This article is part of a series of portraits of people involved in some way with whales on the North…

|Observation of the Week 27/11/2019

Whispering and avoiding predators!

A number of studies show that in different species of baleen whales, mothers and their offspring communicate in a very…

|News 26/11/2019

Arctic Adventure: A Virtual Expedition on the Ice Floes for Elementary School Kids

Accompanied by experienced divers Jill Heinerth and Mario Cyr, discover the pack ice and its animals with Arctic Adventure, an…

|News 26/11/2019

Leaving the Estuary

November 20, Cap de Bon-Désir in Les Bergeronnes: our collaborator Renaud Pintiaux settles down to take a few pictures of…

|Observation of the Week 21/11/2019

A busy season for 1-877-7BALEINE, and it’s not over yet!

The summer 2019 season has drawn to a close. It’s time for the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network (QMMERN)…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 21/11/2019
pectorale bosse

Humpback whales eat with their hands

The pectoral fins of humpback whales, with their enormous size and jagged edges, are quite different from those of other…

|News 19/11/2019
Duo Bleues

What good are whales?

The impact of the global decline of cetaceans is not fully understood, as it has never been quantified. But the…

|Whale Q&A 18/11/2019

Why do some belugas have turned-up pectoral fins?

This question is from Marie-Hélène D’Arcy, beluga photo-ID technician at the Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals (GREMM).…

|Whale Q&A 11/11/2019
Portrait Jane-Anne Cormier

Observer Portraits: Jane-Anne Cormier

This article is part of a series of portraits of people involved in some way with whales on the North…

|Observation of the Week 31/10/2019

Observer Portraits: Guy Côté

This article is part of a series of portraits of people involved in some way with whales on the North…

|Observation of the Week 31/10/2019

Multiple Species in a Single Glance

For his last outing of the season, a recreational fisherman sets out in La Tabatière, in Quebec’s Basse-Côte-Nord region. While his…

|Observation of the Week 31/10/2019
Jacques Gélineau

Observer Portraits: Jacques Gélineau

This article is part of a series of portraits of people involved in some way with whales on the North…

|Observation of the Week 31/10/2019

A Speckled Humpback… by Anik Boileau

By Anik Boileau, Veterinary Science Researcher and Director of CERSI With the arrival of fall in the Sept-Îles region, it’s…

|Field Notes 31/10/2019
Jean-Louis Frenette

Observer Portraits: Jean-Louis Frenette

This article is part of a series of portraits of people involved in some way with whales on the North…

|Observation of the Week 31/10/2019

Observer Portrait: Sylvie Savard

This article is part of a series of portraits of people involved in some way with whales on the North…

|Observation of the Week 30/10/2019

Observer Portraits: Marie Karine Maltais

This article is part of a series of portraits of people involved in some way with whales on the North…

|Observation of the Week 30/10/2019
Portrait Huguette Thibeault

Observer Portraits: Huguette Thibeault

This article is part of a series of portraits of people involved in some way with whales on the North…

|Observation of the Week 30/10/2019

Observer Portrait: Laurence Pagé

This article is part of a series of portraits of people involved in some way with whales on the North…

|Observation of the Week 30/10/2019

Post-whaling Recovery: The Beautiful Story Of Humpbacks

This year in the St. Lawrence, no fewer than 13 mother-calf humpback pairs have been identified by teams from the…

|News 29/10/2019
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

With the Belugas… Their Newborns and the Narwhal

October 9: an Indian summer day, a calm St. Lawrence, spectacular fall foliage… the BpJAM sets sail for one of its…

|Field Notes 24/10/2019

With the belugas… and their blubber

By Valerie Jolicoeur, master student at UQAM This fall, I embarked on a major Master’s project that focuses on the…

|Field Notes 24/10/2019

En Route to Winter Quarters

As the number of eyes scanning the water decreases, the number of sightings reported is also on the decline. Are…

|Observation of the Week 24/10/2019

Are the blue whales in the St. Lawrence getting enough to eat?

In summer, the St. Lawrence is a feeding ground for a number of blue whales of the northwest Atlantic population.…

|News 22/10/2019

Contaminants Blamed for Throwing Genes Out of Whack

More and more studies are suggesting that numerous so-called endocrine disruptors are accumulating in the tissues of whales and posing…

|News 18/10/2019

The Whale and the Raven : a documentary about the orcas and humpback whales of British Columbia

A new documentary was just released by the National Film Board of Canada. Here is the synopsis. «On the otherwise…

|News 18/10/2019

Pilot Whales?

Two observers, one in Les Escoumins (north shore), the other in Baie-des-Sables (south shore), asked the following question this week:…

|Observation of the Week 17/10/2019

Activist Greta Thunberg Meets with GREMM

On September 30, leading climate activist Greta Thunberg accompanied the scientific research team of the Group for Research and Education…

|News 4/10/2019

Do Blue Whales Serenade Their Partners?

For four decades, research on blue whale behaviour has been trying to unravel the mysteries of their reproduction. A bit…

|News 4/10/2019

Autumn is for Humpbacks

Seven black-and-white tails rise into the air one after the other before disappearing into the dark river. “It’s a ballet…

|Observation of the Week 3/10/2019

Minke Whales and Their Flair

Perhaps because they prefer coastal habitats, minke whales are one of the most frequently observed cetacean species in the St.…

|Observation of the Week 25/9/2019

Right Whale Carcass Found in US Identified As Snake Eyes

The North Atlantic right whale carcass found off Long Island, New York on September 16 was identified by the New…

|News 20/9/2019

Rumba!

A three-way ballet… a race in which body touches body. All around the massive but elegant blue whales, water splashes,…

|Observation of the Week 19/9/2019

End-of-season field notes 2017 (part II)

The last trip offshore for the year took place on November 4. Here is the second part of these Field…

|Field Notes 17/9/2019

Whales in the Storm

The sighting map appears a little sparse this week. Have all the whales left? Not necessarily. Weather conditions prevented many…

|Observation of the Week 13/9/2019
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

With the belugas… And their amusing behaviours

September 6: While part of the team is returning from Alaska to lend a hand to researchers studying the beluga…

|Field Notes 13/9/2019

“Losing the Saguenay acoustic refuge means risking irreparable impacts to belugas”

The Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals (GREMM) is publishing a video to answer the many questions that…

|News 10/9/2019
Une femelle grand dauphin, accompagnée de sa fille biologique et d'un jeune péponocéphale.

Extremely rare adoption by a dolphin

In 2014, in French Polynesia, a female bottlenose dolphin nicknamed “Thaïs” is observed with her first calf. Two months later,…

|News 10/9/2019

Humpback Entangled off Forillon Park

Late in the day on August 25, 2019, the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network receives a report for a…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 9/9/2019

With Large Rorquals… and Their Gaping Mouths

By Maude-Émilie Bourque August 28, 2019: it’s my last day as a volunteer research assistant for the GREMM this season.…

|Field Notes 9/9/2019

Humpbacks Aplenty and Blue Whale Tails!

A long-time observer and former resident of Tadoussac sets out on a whale-watching cruise on September 1. The skyscape reflects…

|Observation of the Week 5/9/2019

Are whale protection and research work compatible?

Better understanding cetaceans to better protect them is the goal of many researchers working on these giants of the seas.…

|News 5/9/2019

Video of Beluga Playing with a Gull

A video of a beluga taking a gull in its mouth, following it around and even trying to taunt it…

|News 5/9/2019

With the large rorquals… The biggest!

By Maude-Émilie Bourque Sunday, August 25, 2019. I leave for Grandes-Bergeronnes at the crack of dawn with my equipment: camera…

|Field Notes 3/9/2019

Summer not quite over for the whales

August 28: A bright-eyed naturalist returns to the wharf in Percé. No sooner does the boat leave the docks when…

|Observation of the Week 29/8/2019

What does a blue whale use its tongue for?

Blue whales have a huge tongue that weighs as much as an elephant. In addition to the sense of taste,…

|Whale Q&A 28/8/2019

Live Stranded Sowerby’s Beaked Whale Near Île Verte

On the afternoon of August 25, a beaked whale is observed dangerously close to the shores of Île Verte. The…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 27/8/2019
Deux rorquals à bosse

Thirteen Humpback Whales and Their Little Ones

We often talk about endangered species, but we rarely emphasize how well other species are doing. And humpback whale populations…

|Observation of the Week 21/8/2019

Out of the Ordinary

August 7: At the lookout in Baie Sainte-Marguerite in the Saguenay Fjord National Park, a naturalist scans the bay for…

|Observation of the Week 16/8/2019

Studying Fin Whale Distribution to Understand Their Decline

The team at the Mingan Island Cetacean Study (MICS) has been observing fewer and fewer fin whales in the northern…

|News 14/8/2019

Voice Your Opinion of the “Impact of Noise on the Beluga Whale at Risk in the St. Lawrence Estuary” Action Plan

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, together with numerous collaborators, has produced an action plan entitled “Impact of noise…

|News 13/8/2019
Pose d'une balise sur le dos d'un béluga.

With the belugas… under water

On the morning of July 26, the Bleuvet sets sail from the port of Tadoussac to study belugas. With 6 people on…

|Field Notes 13/8/2019

Military Sonar: A Threat to Blue Whale’s Recovery?

A new study published in Experimental Biology showed that military sonar can affect the behaviour of the blue whales studied off the…

|News 13/8/2019

Are there any whales that live in fresh water?

There are nearly 70 species of toothed whales and 13 species of baleen whales. Baleen whales use a highly specialized…

|Whale Q&A 12/8/2019

Cetacean Acrobats

The pointed head and long, slender body rise to the sky like a rocket before the animal lands heavily on…

|Observation of the Week 9/8/2019
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

Twelfth Beluga Carcass This Year Found on the Banks of the St. Lawrence

A beluga carcass washed up in the Gaspé town of Les Méchins on August 6. The newborn beluga still had…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 7/8/2019

PhD Project: Sources of Emerging Organic Contaminants to the Habitat of Endangered St. Lawrence Estuary Beluga

Project St. Lawrence Estuary (SLE) Beluga has been designated as an endangered species since 2014 by the Committee on the…

|News 6/8/2019

Right Whales: Lifting of Speed Restrictions and Stranding of Fourth Carcass

Aerial surveillance over the past few weeks has not identified any North Atlantic right whales in dynamic speed limit corridors.…

|News 6/8/2019

Study Whales to Beat Cancer?

According to a study published in Molecular Biology and Evolution, whales have mechanisms to protect themselves against cancer. Since the…

|News 29/7/2019

New PhD project : Environmental Contaminants, Body Condition and Photogrammetry of St. Lawrence Estuary Belugas

Project Title Environmental Contaminants, Body Condition and Photogrammetry of St. Lawrence Estuary Belugas Project Synopsis The St. Lawrence Estuary (SLE)…

|News 29/7/2019

Tiny Calf Will Become Giant

Calves spend their time learning to swim, hunt and move with agility by imitating their mother and other adults. Within…

|Observation of the Week 25/7/2019

Do Planes and Helicopters Disturb Whales?

Whales are particularly sensitive to noise, whether human-made or natural. Noise can interfere with their communication and affect their behaviour.…

|Whale Q&A 24/7/2019

PhD Scholarship Opportunity at UQO on belugas and recreational boating

PHD SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY Agent-based modelling of recreational boating in the St. Lawrence Estuary and the Saguenay River (Québec, Canada) to…

|News 23/7/2019

Seventh and Eighth Right Whale Carcasses Found

Two new cases of dead right whales have been confirmed today by Fisheries and Oceans Canada. According to the ministry,…

|News 22/7/2019

Cleanup of “seventh continent” set to begin

On September 8, The Ocean Cleanup project will deploy its first floating system designed to capture waste in the waters of the…

|News 19/7/2019

Conference: Finding Ways of Reducing the Threat of Vessel Traffic on Whales and Other Marine Mammals through Detection and Avoidance

Harald Yurk is a bioacoustics specialist with the Aquatic Ecosystems and Marine Mammals Division of Fisheries and Oceans Canada in…

|News 18/7/2019

Noteworthy Fish and Whales Galore

Last week, it was white-sided dolphins in Gaspé Bay. This week, killer whales, the largest species in the dolphin family,…

|Observation of the Week 17/7/2019
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

With the Belugas… Out Fishing!

July 3, 2019: The BpJAM is back at sea for the 2019 field season, with the same crew as last…

|Field Notes 15/7/2019

Does cat poop pose a problem for belugas?

On cat litter bags is a warning for pregnant women concerning a parasite found in cat feces. What is even…

|News 12/7/2019

First Dolphins of the Year and a Great-Grandmother

Measuring 2 to 2.7 metres long, their toned bodies are black, white, grey and yellowish-beige. Atlantic white-sided dolphins! Fifteen or…

|Observation of the Week 11/7/2019

Tougher Prevention Measures to Protect North Atlantic Right Whales

Speed ​​restrictions applied to a larger fleet, increased aerial surveillance, expanded speed ​​limit area... The Government of Canada is announcing…

|News 11/7/2019

Female beluga DL0584 dies while giving birth

An eighth beluga carcass washed up on the banks of the St. Lawrence River on July 4. The individual has…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 9/7/2019

Fins on the Horizon!

Although whales were scarce in the Bonaventure Island sector last July, this year they have been plentiful. “We're spoiled,” says…

|Observation of the Week 5/7/2019
Deux dos de rorquals à bosse

Do humpback whales have friends?

Since arriving in the Marine Park area, Tic Tac Toe has been observed multiple times with another female nicknamed Snowball.…

|Whale Q&A 5/7/2019

How does echolocation work?

In water, light is scarce, but sounds travels quickly. In such an environment, toothed whales such as belugas, sperm whales…

|Whale Q&A 5/7/2019
Tail of a sperm whale

What is ambergris?

Sperm whales are known and have been hunted for their production of ambergris, a substance of great value that has…

|Whale Q&A 5/7/2019

Right whales: disentanglement efforts progress

Right whales EG4423 and EG4440 are now swimming a little lighter since shedding some of the rope that had been…

|News 5/7/2019
La carcasse de la baleine noire Wolverine flotte à la surface, le ventre exposé

Right Whales: What is happening in 2019

The North Atlantic right whale is endangered, with an estimated population of only about 400 individuals. The main threats faced…

|Hot Topics 3/7/2019

Four Necropsies, Three Collisions

Preliminary results of the fourth North Atlantic right whale necropsy have just been announced by Fisheries and Oceans Canada. The…

|News 3/7/2019

Concerns for the Welfare of Eight Captive Whales Returned to the Wild

Since November 2018, 87 belugas and 10 killer whales have been illegally held captive in a “whale prison” off Nakhodka…

|News 3/7/2019

Large Rorquals from the North Shore to the Gaspé Peninsula

In calm weather, the spouts of large rorquals can be heard hundreds of metres away, but above all, they can…

|Observation of the Week 2/7/2019

Six Right Whales Found Dead in Gulf of St. Lawrence

Fisheries and Oceans Canada confirms that two new North Atlantic right whale carcasses have been found, one on the coast…

|News 2/7/2019

Two New Carcasses and Second Right Whale Necropsy for 2019

The Government of Canada announced in a press release that it had discovered two new carcasses offshore, near the Acadian…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies, News 26/6/2019

Entangled Minke Whale in Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park

A minke whale ensnared in fishing rope was reported to the  Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network (QMMERN) by passengers of…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 21/6/2019

Stranded Grey Whales and Stranded Right Whales: Same Difference?

In early June, the carcass of a female grey whale washes ashore in British Columbia, close to the US border. This is…

|News 20/6/2019

Tic Tac Toe, Snowball et Leprechaun

Le 16 juin en après-midi, la mer est lisse et silencieuse devant les Grandes-Bergeronnes. Soudain, deux larges dos noirs apparaissent.…

|Observation of the Week 20/6/2019

With the Belugas… And Listening In!

By Mathieu Marzelière At last! GREMM’s 2019 field season is officially underway. This first week was devoted to Fisheries and…

|Field Notes 18/6/2019

Whale-watching Cruises Banned from Parts of Marine Park

Whale-watching cruises will no longer be able to ply the waters of certain sectors of the Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park.…

|News 11/6/2019

Tiny Fish Fall Prey to Teeth and Baleen

Nearshore reports of “large whales” picked up in intensity this week. In Godbout, in Quebec’s Côte-Nord region, humpback whales venture…

|Observation of the Week 7/6/2019

The First Right Whale Necropsy of 2019

The North Atlantic right whale identified as Wolverine is currently analyzed on Miscou Island, New Brunswick. The necropsy requires the…

|News 5/6/2019

Right Whale Carcass Found Adrift in Gulf of St. Lawrence

A first North Atlantic right whale carcass has been discovered this year. North Atlantic right whales are considered endangered and…

|News 5/6/2019

A Blue Whale At Last!

I finally encountered my first large rorqual of the season! And it was about time: I had already travelled 240…

|Field Notes 27/5/2019

Return of a Star?

The hastily composed email betrays the excitement of its sender. The observer just photographed a fin whale with a particularly…

|Observation of the Week 27/5/2019

Beluga Belatedly Heads Back to Rejoin its Pod!

Since April 23, a beluga that could be described as a “vagrant” has been observed around the Gaspé Peninsula. The…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 27/5/2019

Industrial port developments on the Saguenay: a beluga’s perspective

Four industrial port development projects on the banks of the Saguenay River are in their final stages or have completed…

|Hot Topics 24/5/2019

Right whales : fishing closures and new technologies for crabbing industry

On May 13, the first North Atlantic right whales of the season were observed via aerial survey in the Gulf of…

|News 23/5/2019

Species at Risk: Fin Whales on the Rebound, Concerns for Sei Whales and Sowerby’s Beaked Whales

On May 6, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) convened in St. John's, Newfoundland, to…

|News 15/5/2019

Do whales suffer from sunburn?

Unlike other mammals, whales do not have hair to protect their skin. Even if they spend little time at the…

|Whale Q&A 15/5/2019

What is a laryngeal sac?

The laryngeal sac is a structure found in baleen whales, but also in many other mammals, including primates (but not…

|Whale Q&A 14/5/2019

A Play Dedicated to Whale Researcher and Rescuer Jon Lien

Between Breaths highlights the unusual life story of Jon Lien (1939-2010), a pioneer of whale research in Canada. It is…

|News 9/5/2019
Un petit rorqual a la moitié du corps sorti de l'eau.

Minke Whales Everywhere

From the Gaspé to the Côte-Nord, minke whales have been appearing in the waves in recent days. In the St.…

|Observation of the Week 8/5/2019

Complex rescue operation for whales captured in Russia

Since November 2018, 87 belugas and 11 killer whales have been illegally held captive in a “whale prison” off Nakhodka…

|News 8/5/2019

Young seal on the beach: leave it alone

Every year, the months of May and June represent the pupping season for harbour seals. During this period, the Quebec…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 3/5/2019
Photo à la surface de l'eau d'une queue de cachalot en train de plonger

Are whales’ bones adapted to their diving?

Several species of whales have traits that are well suited to their diving behaviour. For example, the relatively small size…

|Whale Q&A 2/5/2019

Sanctuary for Retired Belugas: A World First

Two belugas currently living in an aquarium in Shanghai, China, are getting ready to fly to Iceland. The two whales…

|News 30/4/2019

Travelling “down south”… by Albert Michaud

By Albert Michaud This winter, I had the chance to leave Quebec and go “down South”. Not to the Caribbean…

|Field Notes 29/4/2019

Killer Whale: The Great White’s Greatest Fear

Imagine for a moment that the formidable shark in Jawswere to meet face to face with the friendly orca from…

|News 25/4/2019

New Species for the Season

In Sept-Îles, in Quebec’s Côte-Nord region, a long-time observer sets sails on a friend's boat for the first time this season.…

|Observation of the Week 25/4/2019

With the belugas: the fascinating work behind beluga pairing (part 2!)

In last week’s Field Notes, we presented the preparatory steps for beluga matching. This week, discover how the team adds…

|Field Notes 23/4/2019

Grab your binoculars and let’s go!

Tuque, mittens, binoculars, one field guide for birds and another for whales: a couple is gearing up for a road…

|Observation of the Week 18/4/2019
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

With the Belugas: The Fascinating Work Behind Beluga Pairing

One of the pillars of the research conducted at the Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals(GREMM) is photo-identification.…

|Field Notes 16/4/2019

What should I do in the event of an incidental catch?

In Quebec, the crab and shrimp fishery got underway a few weeks ago. Despite all the efforts made to prevent…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 16/4/2019

Agendas for Belugas

What could be better than an agenda featuring whales to place them at the heart of our day-to-day concerns? This…

|News 15/4/2019

Fossil of four-legged, amphibious whale discovered in Peru

The terrestrial ancestors of whales first entered the water some 50 million years ago in the region around India and…

|News 10/4/2019

Decline in fin whales in gulf of St-Lawrence

Fin whales in the northern Gulf of St. Lawrence are in decline, according to a new study published in the…

|News 4/4/2019

Return of the Belugas

March 24: “They’re back!” says our collaborator Renaud Pintiaux. From a coastal road in Port-au-Saumon, not far from Saint-Siméon, he…

|Observation of the Week 27/3/2019

“First of the Year”

“My first whale for 2019!” exclaims a whale-watching outfitter in the Gaspé Peninsula. His first observation was made through his…

|Observation of the Week 27/3/2019

The St.Lawrence challenge : companies pledge to reduce plastic consumption

The St. Lawrence Challenge is a recognition and commitment program aimed at businesses and recreational tourism establishments that wish to…

|News 25/3/2019

Space to breath

On March 6, while walking on the beach near the Cap-des-Rosiers lighthouse, an observer noted the presence of harbour seals…

|Observation of the Week 15/3/2019

A diver caught in a whale’s mouth?

While feeding at the surface, a Bryde's whale accidentally snatched up a diver, who found himself, from the waist up,…

|Whale Q&A 13/3/2019
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

Contaminated belugas : Major project launched to understand contamination and its effects

To protect an endangered species, one needs to understand the factors inhibiting its recovery. In the case of the St.…

|News 12/3/2019

Prince Albert II of Monaco foundation (Canada) offers $150,000 for St.Lawrence beluga research

Montréal, March 5, 2019: In the presence of His Serene Highness Albert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco and several directors…

|News 12/3/2019

Short bios of women in marine biology

Since 1975, International Women’s Day has been celebrated on March 8. In Canada, women currently account for just one-third of…

|News 8/3/2019

More Blue Whales!

The mild weather in the early part of the week offered comfortable conditions for venturing outside and contemplating the river.…

|Observation of the Week 7/3/2019

Blue whale migratory traditions

Every day, blue whales must devour up to 4 tonnes of krill before they are full. With such an enormous appetite, it’s…

|News 6/3/2019

Solitary dolphins and belugas : independant or lost?

The female dolphin known as “Dolphy” regularly plays with swimmers and boats in the French port of Collioure. It is…

|News 28/2/2019

Marine mammals on the ice and humpbacks in the Caribbean

Off the Gaspé Peninsula town of Newport, 50 or so seals bask on the ice. To observe them, it’s best to…

|Observation of the Week 21/2/2019

A seventh calf, but not a baby boom

Since the beginning of the right whale calving season, 7 newborns have been observed. Although the announcement of a seventh…

|News 20/2/2019

Humpback Entangled in 2017 Spotted Alive!

The resilience of whales never ceases to amaze us! By analyzing photos taken in the summer of 2018, the Mingan…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 19/2/2019

Godbout is where the action is!

A tiny village of just over 300 inhabitants, Godbout is located in the Côte-Nord (North Shore) region between Baie-Comeau and…

|Observation of the Week 15/2/2019

Correlation Confirmed Between Military Sonar and Beaked Whale Mass Strandings

Noise pollution is a growing threat for whales, notably for the beluga population of the St. Lawrence, which is affected…

|News 15/2/2019

February Blues

It was a perfect day for whale-watching. Light winds, calm sea, light conditions that were neither blinding nor too dim.…

|Observation of the Week 8/2/2019

Right whales : similar measures for 2019

The North Atlantic right whale protection measures for 2019 have been announced, and will include measures better suited to the…

|News 7/2/2019

How do they determine the age of whales?

Estimating the age of marine mammals is more complex than one might think. Few reliable techniques exist to determine the…

|Whale Q&A 6/2/2019

Climate bill to give whales a little boost?

A few days before Christmas, the Pact for Transition offered a “climate anti-deficit” bill to Quebec Premier François Legault. This…

|News 6/2/2019

Do Whales Have Baby Teeth?

Humans have two generations of teeth: deciduous teeth (from the Latin “to fall”) – also called “baby teeth” – and…

|Whale Q&A 4/2/2019

Pinnipeds Galore!

A herd of harp seals is enjoying a break in the ice cover off the docks in Les Escoumins. The…

|Observation of the Week 1/2/2019

Like a tornado of snow

The list of observations this week reads more like a weather report: sea smoke, ice floes, gusts, snow squalls, howling…

|Observation of the Week 24/1/2019

Which whale species has the largest testicles?

North Atlantic right whales have the largest testicles in the animal kingdom. They can exceed 900 kg, which corresponds to…

|Whale Q&A 21/1/2019

Winter and Seasonal Seals

While harbour seals frequent the waters of the St. Lawrence throughout the year, certain periods are more favourable for observing…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 19/1/2019

Six newborn right whales : a glimmer of hope

Update of 12 February 2019: A fifth and a sixth calf has been confirmed. Since North Atlantic right whales have…

|News 18/1/2019

A Rare Blue Whale

January 12: After weeks of seeing nothing but drifting ice and seals on the move, a large spout draws the…

|Observation of the Week 17/1/2019

Master and PhD on belugas

Two Master projects and a PhD project about belugas are recruiting! Master project - UQAR Master project - UQAM PhD…

|News 15/1/2019

How do calves manage to follow their mothers?

After birth, a calf remains with its mother at a minimum for the duration of nursing, which varies from a…

|Whale Q&A 15/1/2019

An ancient whale with neither teeth or baleen

Museum collections are full of fossils that haven’t been carefully examined in years. However, by taking a closer look at…

|News 14/1/2019

A New Year of Observations Begins

As 2018 was winding down, one observer in Bonaventure in the Gaspé Peninsula observes three tall puffs, all appearing at…

|Observation of the Week 10/1/2019

Putting a face to a call : identifying belugas acoustically

A herd of belugas breaks through the surface of the water as their squawks, chirps, whistles and grunts fill the…

|News 8/1/2019

My week at the whale warehouse

It all started with Marie-Ève, my Editor-in-Chief, asking me, “Would you like to spend a week with skeletons, Jass?” Next…

|Field Notes 7/1/2019

A Few Final Breaths to Say Goodbye

Cap-d’Espoir, December 15. The black backs of two humpback whales emerge from the dark water. Their rounded spouts and the…

|Observation of the Week 20/12/2018

1-877-7Baleine Still Active Throughout the Holidays!

Even if snow covers the shores of the St. Lawrence, Marine Mammal Emergencies continues its work. Throughout the winter, the…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 20/12/2018

The right whale tale : a year-in-review (2018)

Once believed to be the “right” whales to hunt, the endangered North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) population has been…

|News 20/12/2018

Whales on the Big Screen

The Whale Online team has compiled a list of its favourite films and TV series for a home theatre session with whale…

|News 14/12/2018

Balloon-shaped spouts

December 8: Gaspé Bay is glowing in the sun. A balloon-shaped spout erupts from the water surface, followed by a…

|Observation of the Week 13/12/2018

Marine Animal Response Society (MARS) – Nova Scotia, Canada

Marine Animal Response Society (MARS) Nova Scotia, Canada No matter where you are on the planet, marine mammals have allies.…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 13/12/2018

Right whales : the situation in 2018

2017 was a grim year for the North Atlantic right whales. The deaths of 18 right whales created a shock wave…

|News 12/12/2018

New status for fin whales: on the road to recovery?

Fin whales may not be the largest of the whales, but they are certainly one of the fastest! This advantage…

|News 12/12/2018

The Nepisiguit River beluga… off Prince Edward Island

Professional scuba diving students were surprised to be joined by a beluga whale during a dive in Summerside Harbour last…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 12/12/2018

Whales and Seals Amid the Ice Floes

"They're breaching!" exclaims an innkeeper from Forillon, in the Gaspé Peninsula. It's December 3 and the week is off to…

|Observation of the Week 6/12/2018

Thank you, Marine Mammal Emergencies volunteers!

On the occasion of International Volunteer Day (December 5), we would like to highlight the important contributions made by the…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 5/12/2018

Why do cetaceans die?

Just like us, cetaceans (whales, porpoises, and dolphins) have a range of reasons that can lead to mortality. Because of…

|Whale Q&A 5/12/2018

North Atlantic right whales : strong presence continues in 2018

The southeastern Gulf of St. Lawrence was home to nearly half of the North Atlantic right whale population this summer,…

|News 4/12/2018

Whales stressed up to their ears

Unlike humans, who can clean out the wax that covers their external ear canal (not with Q-tips of course!), whales…

|News 4/12/2018

When The Waves Calm Down

The extreme weather of the past few days has not been very conducive to marine observations. In addition to repeated…

|Observation of the Week 29/11/2018

It’s Now or Never for the Vaquitas

Latest sightings of calves bring a new hope for the cetacean that is face-to-face with extinction: the vaquita (Phocoena sinus).…

|News 28/11/2018

One Weekend; Two Mass Strandings in New Zealand

About 145 black-bodied whales laid out on a long, sandy beach when two hikers, Liz Carson and Julian Ripoll, stumbled…

|News 28/11/2018

Trap-Feeding: a New Creative Feeding Method

Innovation often derives from need. So has been the case for humpback whales off northeastern Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Humpbacks…

|News 27/11/2018

Three Big Blues

“Three big blues!” exclaims an observer. He observes the three majestic animals Sunday morning 3 or 4 nautical miles south…

|Observation of the Week 22/11/2018

Southern resident killer whales : new measures announced

The Government of Canada announced further actions to help protect the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKWs) on October 31,…

|News 14/11/2018

The last one from sea

It is the end of the 2018 season on the water but there is still life at sea. It is…

|Field Notes 7/11/2018

Mériscope: Overview of Minke Whales

A 23-foot orange Zodiac called Narval is used to approach minke whales. On board you will find the Mériscope crew,…

|News 2/11/2018

A Sperm Whale, Again!

We all have our favourite species, including our favourite whales. For our collaborator Renaud Pintiaux, “The sperm whale is a…

|Observation of the Week 31/10/2018

Ocean School: The Future of Ocean Literacy

Dive deep into the vast blue ocean with turtles, whales and fish right from the convenience of your home or…

|News 31/10/2018

A sperm whale in front of the dunes of Tadoussac

Gloomy weather, but the river is calm on this October 29th as I embark on the Grand Fleuve for a whale-watching excursion.…

|Field Notes 30/10/2018

Are there krill in the wintertime?

Yes, there are krill in the St. Lawrence in the wintertime. According to a recent study by Dr. Yvan Simard…

|Whale Q&A 29/10/2018
Béluga carcasse

Worrying St. Lawrence beluga mortality trend continues in 2018

The tragic plight of the St. Lawrence beluga population continues. Once again this year, researchers are highly concerned about the…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 26/10/2018

Belugas in aquariums : a brief history

Follow us on a journey that will take you from the St. Lawrence to Vancouver via Russia, New York and…

|News 25/10/2018

Fewer Eyes on the Water, but Whales Remain

“Can killer whales be seen in Gaspé Bay?” asks a kayaker out at sea with a group near Grande-Grave, off…

|Observation of the Week 25/10/2018
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

Beluga Bonanza

Yesterday a visitor at the Marine Mammal Interpretation Centre (CIMM) saw several belugas across the Saguenay Fjord through light flurries.…

|Observation of the Week 18/10/2018

What do we know about harbour porpoises?

By Célia Barathier Harbour porpoises are the subject of very few studies in the St. Lawrence and are therefore much…

|Whale Q&A 16/10/2018

How do whales go on long dives? 

Whales are marine mammals that dive for various reasons, such as: feeding and mating. Their prey are found at varying…

|Whale Q&A 16/10/2018

What Do Whales Do at Night?

By Chloé Vérité A curtain closes, night takes over the sky and during its quiet advance the frantic pace of…

|Whale Q&A 15/10/2018
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

Red Foliage and Colourful Backs

The cruise ship Narval III of the whale-watching company Croisières Baie de Gaspé docked for the last time on October 11, and…

|Observation of the Week 12/10/2018

Whales with different methods of filtering

Baleen refers to the stiff plates of keratin that hang off the upper jaw of some whales, more precisely mysticetes……

|News 12/10/2018
En avant-plan, un rorqual commun, en arrière, un béluga et au fond un bateau de croisière

Slowing down, for the whales’ sake

A ship that strikes a whale can cause the latter serious injury. In the St. Lawrence, fin whales are particularly…

|News 10/10/2018

Chills and Thrills : Autumn Sightings

On the wharf used by the Mingan Island Cetacean Study (MICS) in Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan, a thin coat of frost glistens. “Time to migrate south!”…

|Observation of the Week 9/10/2018

Protecting species at risk : “Ottawa not doing enough“, says environment commissioner

Delays in the development of action plans, lack of resources, lack of support to partner organizations, neglect that has likely…

|News 4/10/2018
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

With the belugas… at full throttle!

Clear blue sky, low winds, calm sea… The perfect conditions for a productive day of photo-identification and photogrammetry. All we…

|Field Notes 3/10/2018

Beached minke whale carcass at Pointe-aux-Outardes

On the morning of September 22, a minke whale carcass appeared off the coast of Pointe-aux-Outardes Nature Park. After drifting…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 2/10/2018

A Forest of Spouts

On September 23, no sooner does the cruise begin when the captain yells out “Breach!” Off Les Bergeronnes, the 15-metre long…

|Observation of the Week 26/9/2018

Rare Sowerby’s beaked whale found in Rivière-au-Tonnerre

A beaked whale was discovered stranded in Rivière-au-Tonnerre on September 17. Initial photos of the carcass immediately intrigued the Quebec…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 20/9/2018

Full breach!

Thirty-three! Thirty-three times, a minke whales breached before a dumbstruck observer standing on the pink granite of Pointe Rouge overlooking Tadoussac…

|Observation of the Week 20/9/2018

Glasses to see the world like a whale

How would you like to “see” the world the same way a dolphin, a beluga or a sperm whale does?…

|News 19/9/2018

Whale- “Listening”

With a hesitation in her step, she walks down the ramp to the boat launch in the Tadoussac marina, where a Zodiac…

|Observation of the Week 18/9/2018

Opening of the Northwest passage : marine mammals at risk

With Arctic shipping routes increasingly used by merchant shipping, an ice-free Arctic Ocean could put the resistance and adaptability of…

|News 17/9/2018

What Good is Whale Poo?

By Célia Baratier In summer, whales find themselves in the St. Lawrence to stock up on food. Krill and fish…

|Whale Q&A 13/9/2018

Wave of solidarity for belugas

The summer of 2018 has seen a succession of announcements for investments and new projects designed to better understand and…

|News 11/9/2018
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

With the belugas… Hot to trot!

By Mathieu Marzelière and Albert Michaud Monday, August 27, 2018. Aboard the BpJAM, we set out of the Tadoussac port…

|Field Notes 11/9/2018

September Blues

Just before students head back to school and knitting season returns, the long Labour Day weekend has allowed thousands of…

|Observation of the Week 7/9/2018

Postdoctoral fellowship offer – Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO) in collaboration with GREMM

Project title Spatiotemporal Individual-Based Modelling of the St. Lawrence Estuary Beluga Population Project background and objectives St. Lawrence Estuary beluga…

|News 5/9/2018

Whaling: Do the Whales Hunted in the Nordic Countries Visit the St. Lawrence?

Are the cetaceans targeted by Icelandic or Norwegian whalers the same ones as those that visit us year after year?…

|Whale Q&A 4/9/2018
trafic maritime

Port developments on the Saguenay: Fisheries and Oceans Canada experts sceptical

Two marine terminal development projects could triple maritime traffic in the Saguenay and lead to a 10% increase in traffic…

|News 31/8/2018

Do hybrids exist in cetaceans?

By Célia Baratier This year once again, the research team aboard the BpJAM saw the narwhal! He seems to have…

|Whale Q&A 29/8/2018

Gannets Galore!

With her tuque snug over her ears, one observer marvels at three gannets as they dive in unison off the…

|Observation of the Week 29/8/2018

Whaling: Poised to fizzle out?

In early July, images of whaling sparked a controversy. Sea Shepherd is concerned that Icelandic whalers have slaughtered a blue whale, which…

|News 28/8/2018

Menopause in belugas and narwhals

Menopause is a rather rare phenomenon. And yet a study published in Scientific Reports reveals that the females of two species of…

|News 27/8/2018

Sperm Whale in Sight!

"It's been a dream season," says a captain/naturalist as he shares a video of a sperm whale he shot off…

|Observation of the Week 23/8/2018

Whaling: Harvesting Whales in the 21st Century

In early July, images of whaling sparked a controversy. Sea Shepherd is concerned that Icelandic whalers have slaughtered a blue whale,…

|News 22/8/2018

Adapting to Disability

GREMM research assistants photograph a group of belugas. Upon closer inspection, they make a surprising discovery: one of the animals…

|News 16/8/2018

Great Week for Observations

“In 51 years of watching whales, I’ve never seen that!” At the end of the line, the voice of our…

|Observation of the Week 16/8/2018

With the belugas… including one without a tail!

Monday, August 13, 2018: At the crack of dawn, the BpJAMM crew heads out toward the mid-channel buoy in perfect…

|Field Notes 16/8/2018

Hydrodynamics of humpbacks as a health indicator

The way whales slip through the water can tell us if they are in good physical shape, reveals a study published…

|News 15/8/2018

With the belugas… and the unexpected on board the Bleuvet!

On Wednesday, August 8, the Bleuvet team was on the water searching for a herd of belugas to carry out…

|Field Notes 10/8/2018

A head, a Tail, a Body Out of the Water!

July 31: A pointed snout pierces the surface and rises like a skyscraper out of the waters off Les Bergeronnes.…

|Observation of the Week 9/8/2018

Why do seals come out of the water?

Seals and sea lions share an ancestor that was exclusively terrestrial. Their physiological evolution has left traces and they must…

|Whale Q&A 3/8/2018

“Mom, can you hear me?” season #2

By Valeria Vergara and Marie-Ana Mikus (guest researchers from Ocean Wise Conservation Association) Time flies on the beluga research tower…

|Field Notes 2/8/2018

Little Bundles of Life

They're about one-third the size of an adult and still stick close to their mothers' sides. Calves of several species…

|Observation of the Week 2/8/2018
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

Well-known beluga dies

July 29, 2018, 2:40 p.m.: the phone rings, breaking the silence at the Marine Mammal Emergencies call centre. Two recreational boaters…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 2/8/2018

With the belugas… and their waist measurements!

Although this technique is already used in other cetacean species – including killer whales and right whales – it is…

|Field Notes 27/7/2018

Navigating through the Fog

Our observer from Franquelin notes the presence of four minke whales and four porpoises on July 21. A little farther…

|Observation of the Week 26/7/2018

Analyzing Underwater Sound as if Playing a Video Game

A simulator of marine mammal movements and shipping traffic will be given a new lease of life thanks to a…

|News 26/7/2018

The Nepisiguit beluga is alive and well

Great news! The beluga that was trapped in the Nepisiguit River in New Brunswick and relocated to the St. Lawrence…

|News 20/7/2018

With the Belugas… And a Narwhal!

By Mathieu Marzelière and Albert Michaud A new season is getting underway aboard GREMM's Zodiac, the BpJAM. New season, new…

|Field Notes 19/7/2018

First case of right whale entanglement in 2018

July 13, 2018, 14:45, off the coast of New Brunswick’s Miscou Island, an aerial survey conducted by the National Oceanic and…

|News 18/7/2018
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

Protecting belugas from increasing shipping traffic in the arctic

The Arctic is undergoing a transformation. Melting pack ice is opening up new shipping routes and setting the stage for…

|News 15/7/2018

Identifying Humpbacks X and Zip

July 7: Having made the trek from Newcastle, England to watch whales, an observer sets up post on the rocks…

|Observation of the Week 12/7/2018
Béluga carcasse

Two new beluga carcasses found in Bas-Saint-Laurent

Two beluga carcasses were found just two days apart in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region. The first carcass reported on July 9…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 11/7/2018

100-metre buffer established for observing whales in Canada

Marine mammal conservationists have reason to celebrate: From now on, it will be forbidden to approach within 100 metres of…

|News 11/7/2018

Back at the tower: a second season in Baie-Sainte-Marguerite

By Jaclyn Aubin Last Saturday, as I hauled myself up onto the platform of the tower, I felt a flutter…

|Field Notes 10/7/2018

Fishing Season Ends with No Reported Incidents Involving Right Whales

Over the next few days, the lobster and snow crab seasons will end in most parts of the Gulf of…

|News 10/7/2018

Since whales and ungulates share a common ancestor, are the former able to ruminate?

Whales are carnivores that feed on small shrimp-like crustaceans. Yet their digestive systems do not resemble those of carnivorous mammals.…

|Whale Q&A 6/7/2018
Béluga du Saint-Laurent balise

With the belugas – GREMM kicks off new season

With new projects being launched this year and continuing regular beluga monitoring, the 2018 field season promises to be rich…

|Field Notes 5/7/2018

Where There Is Prey, There Are Whales!

"Unbelievable! It's hot even out on the water," exclaims a GREMM volunteer research assistant participating in the photo-ID program for…

|Observation of the Week 5/7/2018

Banc-des-Américains : a new marine protected Area

The governments of Quebec and Canada have announced the creation of a new jointly-managed marine protected area at the American…

|News 4/7/2018

Entangled whales: a complex situation

Coordinating a disentanglement Every year, the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network (RQUMM) receives reports of marine mammals entangled in…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 3/7/2018

Saguenay-St. Lawrence marine park: 20 years of conservation efforts

The Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park as we know it today was created in 1998. However, it took several decades of…

|News 29/6/2018

We Wouldn’t Want to Be a Capelin…

Does this photo show five whales or six? Their gaping mouths are about to clamp down on masses of quivering…

|Observation of the Week 28/6/2018

Can Whales Be Deaf or Blind?

By Célia Baratier Sound travels much faster through water than through air. Whales have taken advantage of this phenomenon thanks…

|Whale Q&A 22/6/2018
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

A new measure for belugas in the marine park

Calving season for St. Lawrence belugas is right around the corner, and to provide these animals with an area of…

|News 21/6/2018

Gaspésie Invaded by “Jubartes” or “Megaptera”

No doubt about it, everyone who has been plying the offshore waters of the Gaspé region lately has one word…

|Observation of the Week 19/6/2018

A history of fidelity

Friday, June 8: after being notified of 3 blue whales purportedly present in the Gaspé region, I decide to head…

|Field Notes 18/6/2018

Blue Whale Newcomers and Familiar Humpbacks

The Mingan Island Cetacean Study (MICS) team, based in Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan, is geared up for its 40th season on the water!…

|Observation of the Week 13/6/2018

Irisept, a White Tail and Other Humpback Whale Stories

"For a number of people, the weather these past few days has been the motivating factor to get out and…

|Observation of the Week 5/6/2018

Ti-Croche, artiste and a minke whale in the air

A look back at the observations of the last two weeks off Tadoussac. At the end of May, it was…

|Field Notes 5/6/2018

A Summer School on Animal Cognition

Are fishes sentient? Do squid have a sense of self? Who are dolphins and can they be considered as nonhuman…

|News 5/6/2018

Young live seal on the river banks: do not disturb!

If you see a young seal on the beach, let it rest. The months of May and June are pupping…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 4/6/2018

Silvery Capelin Sought by Hungry Giants

Prével (Gaspésie), Sept-Îles, Portneuf-sur-Mer (Côte-Nord): "Waves of silver" say some local residents when talking about a particular time of the…

|Observation of the Week 31/5/2018

27 right whale sightings later, a normal fishing season

Five aircraft conducting aerial surveillance have spotted up to 27 right whales this season, which has resulted in several fishing…

|News 31/5/2018

Robots amongst the whales

Remote-controlled gadgets are becoming more popular for studying whales. Some have wings; some have propellers; other have sails or even…

|News 22/5/2018

“Suspect” Identified

Is it possible to identify an all-white beluga? Certainly, especially when it shows a major spinal deformity like Pascolio! This…

|Observation of the Week 18/5/2018

Beluga, what are you doing under the water?

The lives of diving animals take place for the most part under water, out of human sight. Can we, by…

|News 16/5/2018

First right whale observed in Canadian waters

Off the coast of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, the first right whale of the season was observed during aerial surveillance…

|News 15/5/2018

Would it be possible to fit more whales with location transmitters in order to prevent collisions?

If ships knew exactly where the whales were, could we reduce the number of collisions? A number of you have…

|Whale Q&A 14/5/2018

Recognizing Whales by their Backs

May 6: no sooner had the sun risen when one observer spotted two belugas in the morning light off La…

|Observation of the Week 10/5/2018

Seals: topic of interest at marine mammals emergencies

Nearly a dozen seal carcasses were reported to 1-877-7baleine in April, and soon the first reports of pups will also…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 9/5/2018

Start of 2018 season on the St. Lawrence: a beautiful transition!

Whale-watching cruises in the Tadoussac region resumed on April 27. After six months on land, what a joy it is…

|Field Notes 3/5/2018

A New Season Begins

"Spring's arrived!" writes in our collaborator from the town of Franquelin, who has finally seen whales in front of her…

|Observation of the Week 2/5/2018

Record Number of Humpbacks Identified in 2017

The Mingan Island Cetacean Study (MICS) was able to identify 121 humpback whales in 2017, a record number! Of these, 98…

|News 2/5/2018

White Dots at Sea and Exquisite Darts in the Skies

From the distant white dots identified every morning at the mouth of the Saguenay to the close-up views of animals…

|Observation of the Week 26/4/2018

Never before seen footage of fin whale feeding behavior

By François Vachon The scientific team from EDMAKTUB filmed unprecedented images of fin whales surface feeding off the coast of…

|News 25/4/2018

Local residents, fishermen and boaters requested to report any dead or vulnerable marine mammal to 1-877-7baleine

With the return of mild temps and melting ice, this is the time of year when residents, fishermen and boat…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 25/4/2018

Right whales: measures to prevent entanglements and collisions

Although changes made to the fishing season are of concern to many workers, be they fishermen or processing plant employees,…

|News 24/4/2018

Right whales: an entangled whale named Kleenex

Researchers call her Kleenex. Known since 1977, this right whale has been swimming with a rope wrapped around her head…

|News 20/4/2018

Seals by the hundreds, seabird numbers on the rise and belugas between island and mountains

Our collaborator from Pointe-des-Monts confirms: "no whales in sight, but there were "sea wolves" by the ton!" speaking of his…

|Observation of the Week 19/4/2018

Reminder to fishermen: report all entangled whales to 1-877-7baleine

The commercial fishing season is well underway. This is the time of year when Mammal Marine Emergencies reminds fishermen that…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 19/4/2018

Earth Day 2018: We all take a bit of the blame

Earth Day will be celebrated around the world on April 22. In Quebec, the tone is more severe than in…

|News 17/4/2018

Belugas: first carcass for 2018 and recap of 2017

On March 26, the first beluga carcass of 2018 was reported to 1-877-7baleine at Coin-du-Banc in the Gaspé Peninsula. The carcass was…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 12/4/2018

Silhouettes of All Colours

April 11: Young grays and white adults are scattered around the mouth of the Saguenay Fjord. "At last," sighs one…

|Observation of the Week 12/4/2018

It’s snowing on the whales!

The most recent snowfalls this past week give the impression that winter will never end and that spring is reluctant…

|Observation of the Week 4/4/2018

Federal government announces new protective measures for right whales

By François Vachon The year 2017 was a particularly grim year for right whales. A total of 17 carcasses were…

|News 3/4/2018

Humpback stranded in magdalen islands: questions & answers

On Sunday, March 25, the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network received a call concerning a beached humpback whale in the surf at Étang-du-Nord…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 29/3/2018

First Spring Visitors

Sunny skies and rising temperatures are bringing joy and marking the return of the whales! On March 23, in the…

|Observation of the Week 29/3/2018

How can a live stranded whale die of asphyxiation?

By François Vachon Ocean water exerts pressure that allows cetaceans to support their mass. Animals such as fin whales and…

|Whale Q&A 28/3/2018

A New Fur Coat Every Year

This week's observations revolve around seals! In Franquelin and Tadoussac, just one harp seal and one gray seal are seen,…

|Observation of the Week 21/3/2018

Are seals “chatterboxes”?

Before tackling this question, here are a few tidbits regarding our St. Lawrence whales. Between 30 and 50 belugas were…

|Observation of the Week 9/3/2018

An elusive species faces extinction

Researchers are sounding the alarm to prevent the imminent disappearance of the Gulf of Mexico Bryde’s whale. “This mammal is…

|News 1/3/2018

Stopping the flow of plastics into the ocean

Last week, the European Commission unveiled its strategy for reducing the amount of plastic waste landfilled and discharged into the…

|News 26/1/2018

Youth Programs for Environmental and Conservation Awareness

Are you interested in a career focused on the environment, wildlife conservation and awareness of your country's natural heritage? A…

|News 24/1/2018

New fishery management measures in effort tu curb right whale mortality

Four new management measures for the snow crab fishery have been announced by Fisheries and Oceans Canada Minister Dominic LeBlanc…

|News 23/1/2018

Amphibious Mammals along the North Shore

The lives of seals are split between the sea and the land. Excellent swimmers, they hunt their prey under water…

|Observation of the Week 18/1/2018

Have Whales Ever Gotten Trapped by the Ice in the St. Lawrence Estuary?

By François Vachon To date, no such incident has ever been recorded within the boundaries of the St. Lawrence Estuary.…

|Whale Q&A 17/1/2018

Right Whale Mortalities 2017: Overview

In 2017, 18 right whale carcasses have been found in the North Atlantic near the Canadian and US coasts. For…

|News 12/1/2018

White Spouts in a White Landscape

On the afternoon of January 8, an observer is driving down the "Whale Route" toward Sept-Îles. Upon her arrival at…

|Observation of the Week 11/1/2018

What NASA data can tell us about mass strandings

Solar storms are not the primary cause of mass cetacean strandings in Cape Cod Bay, claims a new study conducted…

|News 10/1/2018

The humpbacks of Mazatlan

Thursday, January 4, 2018: while a weather bomb is pummelling Quebec, I have an appointment at 7:30 in the morning…

|Field Notes 8/1/2018

Noteworthy Stories Awaiting Next Year’s Narratives

The year 2017 is winding down. What were the major headlines from this year's News from Afield? [caption id="attachment_30002" align="alignright"…

|Observation of the Week 21/12/2017

Do dolphins get Alzheimer’s?

For the first time, a study has shown clear signs of Alzheimer’s disease in a wild animal: the dolphin. Both…

|News 15/12/2017

Rediscover a summer holiday spot in a frozen but still inhabited setting

After long hours spent this past summer scanning the open sea for whales and pointing them out to visitors, an…

|Observation of the Week 13/12/2017

Tips and Tricks for Recognizing Species

"On December 3, I spotted two whales off Sainte-Thérèse-de-Gaspé," writes in one observer, delighted to be seeing whales in December.…

|Observation of the Week 6/12/2017
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

Gifts that keep on giving!

By Stéphanie Tremblay The holiday season is fast approaching! With it comes the conundrum of brainstorming for gift ideas. That…

|News 6/12/2017

Drilling near the St. Lawrence: A threat to marine mammals?

Between now and Christmas, the Government of Quebec is hoping to put into place a regulatory framework for hydrocarbon exploitation…

|News 5/12/2017

Patience, they’re still around

The week goes by and with each passing day we receive more sightings from our network of collaborators throughout Quebec.…

|Observation of the Week 1/12/2017

Do whales use tools?

By Stéphanie Tremblay This week, a video was swirling around several social media in which a male dolphin could be…

|Whale Q&A 28/11/2017

What kind of seal is that?

One observer reported a seal carcass found in Cacouna to the Marine Mammals Emergencies call centre. What species is it?…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 28/11/2017
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

Studying reproduction like two matching pieces of a puzzle

Do female dolphins have any control over which male they reproduce with? The question seems straightforward, but the method of…

|News 27/11/2017

Were whales affected by those squalls that pummelled the North Shore?

On November 17, gusts of up to 90 km/h whipped across the shores of the Côte-Nord region. The raging, whitecap-speckled St.…

|Observation of the Week 22/11/2017

Right whales still present in gulf

At least 15 right whale sightings were made in the Gulf of St. Lawrence during the week of November 17,…

|News 21/11/2017

Return of winter seals: two new sightings

Nordic visitors were spotted last weekend in the Gaspé as well as in the Bellechasse region upstream of the Estuary.…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 16/11/2017

Migrants Prolonging their Season

At first glance, the St. Lawrence in November appears to be devoid of life. Apart from merchant ships and ferries,…

|Observation of the Week 16/11/2017

Could solar storms be to blame for a mass stranding?

The stranding of 29 sperm whales in the North Sea in early 2016 may have been caused by solar storms…

|News 15/11/2017

When Birds Take Advantage of Whales to Feed

An impressive scar forms zebra-like stripes on the right flank of one of the three fin whales seen off Tadoussac…

|Observation of the Week 8/11/2017

Boats to maintain greater distance from killer whales

By next spring, vessels off the coast of British Columbia will no longer be permitted to approach within 200 metres…

|News 7/11/2017

Return of winter seals

In these early days of autumn, seals that spend their winters in the waters of the St. Lawrence are returning…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 7/11/2017

End-of-season field notes 2017 (part I)

The field season ended on November 4. But there are still quite noteworthy observations (marine mammals, birds, landscapes) and two…

|Field Notes 7/11/2017

How do we measure the length of a whale?

By Stéphanie Tremblay When we see a whale from shore, or even from a boat, it looks quite small. Even…

|Whale Q&A 1/11/2017

Minke Whales, from the Arctic to the St. Lawrence to the Tropic of Cancer

This past week, it has been mostly minke whales that have been observed. About fifteen of them have been at…

|Observation of the Week 1/11/2017
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

Stranded newborn beluga in Alaska still in intensive care

Since being found stranded alive on September 30, the newborn beluga of the Cook Inlet population is still in intensive…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 30/10/2017

#SMM2017 Day 5: Cry of the Heart

That's it, the marathon of presentations is over! The 22nd Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, held in…

|News 30/10/2017

#SMM2017 Day 4: Piggybacking on Others’ Ideas

The onslaught continues: lectures, flash presentations, videos, plenaries, posters and discussions with colleagues hailing from every continent. A biennial is…

|News 27/10/2017

#SMM2017 Day 3: Intriguing New Technologies

Day 3 of the 22nd Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals. Some of the faces amongst the thousands…

|News 26/10/2017

Fresh beluga carcass found in Saint-ulric

The Matane unit of Sureté du Québec contacted 1-877-7baleine after a resident stopped by the station to report a live…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 24/10/2017

Little Hitchhikers on Big Travellers and a Horde of Dolphins

Large golden-brown spots can be seen when a fin whale appears – for example, one of the eight individuals observed…

|Observation of the Week 24/10/2017

Bigger brain, greater degree of sociability?

Is there a correlation between brain size and the diversity of social behaviours exhibited by a species? In cetaceans, it…

|News 24/10/2017

#SMM2017 Day 2: New Technologies, Coloured Ropes and Information-packed Brains

Fifteen-minute presentations, four-minute flash communications and five-minute science videos: a total of 141 presentations were delivered at Scotiabank Centre in…

|News 24/10/2017

#SMM2017 Day 1: Focus on Conservation

Day 1 of the 22nd Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals in Halifax. Already, our heads are filled…

|News 23/10/2017

Extremely Rare Beaked Whale Species Stranded in Magdalen Islands

Two carcasses are found side by side on the Pointe-aux-Loups beach on October 13. Observers initially believe they have found…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 19/10/2017

With the belugas: week of october 16, 2017

The 2017 season is over! Autumn is already well upon us in Tadoussac, the sailboats have been taken out of…

|Field Notes 19/10/2017

Whales Online at the 22nd Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals

From October 22-27, the Whales Online team will be covering the 22nd Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals…

|News 19/10/2017

The Porpoise that Thought It Was a Beluga

On October 13, in the heart of the Marine Park, a harbour porpoise surprises observers with its whitish colour recalling…

|Observation of the Week 18/10/2017

Are the pilot whales of the St. Lawrence the same as those in the Caribbean?

By Stéphanie Tremblay The differences between certain species are sometimes so imperceptible that they may be mistaken for one another.…

|Whale Q&A 17/10/2017

Microorganisms in whale breath

A large group of bacteria was identified for the first time in the breath (or blow) of humpback whales. Whether…

|News 17/10/2017

From the sea to the lab: the journey of a beluga carcass (3/3)

In the past two weeks, we’ve tracked the journeys of beluga carcasses from the open sea to the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 16/10/2017

Whale Season Draws to a Close

Parks Canada's land-based observation sites adjacent to the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park are closing down for the season; meanwhile, the…

|Observation of the Week 13/10/2017
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

With the belugas: week of october 2, 2017

A difficult autumn… For the past two weeks, the weather has not been on our side. A significant number of…

|Field Notes 11/10/2017

Underwater mines: biologists concerned

Japan announced last week that it had successfully extracted zinc, gold, copper and lead from the seabed along the coast…

|News 10/10/2017

At what age do female belugas stop having offspring?

By Stéphanie Tremblay Female belugas reach sexual maturity between the ages of 8 and 14 and can live between 60…

|Whale Q&A 4/10/2017

Rescue in Progress: Stranded Newborn Beluga in Alaska

It measures just 162 cm and weighs a mere 64.5 kg. A newborn beluga just two to four weeks old was found…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 4/10/2017

Etched in Our Memories

"Extraordinary," exclaims a Franquelin-based collaborator while watching in awe as a minke whale leaps into the air. It repeats the…

|Observation of the Week 4/10/2017
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

With the belugas: week of september 25, 2017

Hunters on the Prowl! A few weeks ago, we observed a beluga whale spitting on the water surface to hunt herring.…

|Field Notes 4/10/2017
Béluga carcasse

From the sea to the lab: the journey of a beluga carcass (2/3)

From Necropsy to Microscope Last week, we tracked the journey of a female beluga from drifting offshore to the Faculty of Veterinary…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 2/10/2017

North Atlantic right whales declining since 2010, confirms study

Thanks to a new statistical model, US government researchers and the New England Aquarium are able to more accurately estimate…

|News 2/10/2017

With the belugas: week of september 18, 2017

This week, we are giving the floor to Alexandre Bernier-Graveline, UQAM Master’s candidate in bioaccumulation and the effects of environmental…

|Field Notes 29/9/2017

Big Loafers and Sea Torpedoes

Almost nonchalantly, a basking shark glides by the boat of a resident of Sainte-Thérèse-de-Gaspé. Its high dorsal fin betrays the…

|Observation of the Week 27/9/2017

Do whales go into heat?

By Stéphanie Tremblay Anyone can recognize a cat in heat, but what about a whale? With the human eye, this…

|Whale Q&A 26/9/2017

Who wants to play beluga researcher?

A team of researchers from Manitoba needs your eyes to sort through thousands of underwater photos of belugas. Are you…

|News 26/9/2017
Béluga carcasse

From the sea to the lab: the journey of a beluga carcass (1/3)

Follow the stages of a beluga carcass recovery, from the initial report to the trip to the Faculty of Veterinary…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 25/9/2017

Raising Funds to Support Belugas and Killer Whales

From coast to coast, Simons is supporting research on St. Lawrence belugas and Pacific killer whales by symbolically adopting Artsea…

|News 22/9/2017

Up Close or From Afar

Early in the morning of September 17, under an overcast sky and in glassy seas, two observers from Sainte-Anne-des-Monts are…

|Observation of the Week 21/9/2017

With the belugas… in Alaska: week of september 1, 2017

Belugas in the Mud From September 1 to 9, we were back in Anchorage, Alaska, for a second year in…

|Field Notes 21/9/2017

Do whales drink salt water?

By Sonia Villalon Despite a few exceptions, pinnipeds and cetaceans do not usually drink. In most cases, water is supplied…

|Whale Q&A 19/9/2017

Ancient whales with teeth like lions

Ancient whales had extremely sharp teeth, similar to those of land-based predators such as lions and dingoes, recently discovered researchers…

|News 14/9/2017

Movement of Prey Conditions that of Whales

By Sonia Villalon A text from Sonia Villalon Every species has its preferences in terms of prey and this week's…

|Observation of the Week 13/9/2017

1-877-7baleine still active as autumn draws near

With the beginning of the school year, the crowds of vacationers are thinning out on the shores of the St.…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 13/9/2017

Movement in the St. Lawrence

This seems to be the best way to describe the whale season to date. [caption id="attachment_27257" align="alignright" width="250"] Tingley and…

|Observation of the Week 6/9/2017

With the Belugas: Week of August 28, 2017

From May to October, five days a week, the Bleuvet criss-crosses the St. Lawrence River in search of herds of…

|Field Notes 6/9/2017

In Groups or Alone?

"Harbour porpoises are everywhere, every day," reports a collaborator from Franquelin. These cetaceans, which measure 1 to 2 m long, are…

|Observation of the Week 30/8/2017

Reduced speed limits for ships: an effective measure for protecting whales?

In order to protect North Atlantic right whales, the Canadian government has temporarily reduced speed limits for large vessels in…

|News 30/8/2017

A summer overshadowed by right whale mortalities

The Marine Mammal Emergencies call centre has already handled nearly 200 cases and just over 350 calls this year. These figures are…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 29/8/2017

With the Belugas: Week of August 21, 2017

August 21: The Bleuvet is stationed off of L'Anse-à-la-Boule. The weather is particularly calm. Amidst the last patches of fog…

|Field Notes 28/8/2017

What is this beluga doing with this piece of wood?

By Maureen Jouglain In this video taken in the summer of 2016 off the land-based Pointe-Noire Interpretation and Observation Centre,…

|Whale Q&A 24/8/2017

Observing a Heavyweight Breastfeeding and Other Surprises

A whale-watching boat in the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park encounters the fin whale Caïman and her young on August 16.…

|Observation of the Week 23/8/2017

Whales, death and mourning

By Maureen Jouglain An understanding of death and reaction to the loss of a loved one are generally considered to…

|News 22/8/2017

Narwhal Still Amongst St. Lawrence Belugas

At a time when identity and immigration issues are tormenting Quebec and the rest of the planet, a fresh wind…

|Observation of the Week 21/8/2017

Detective for a day

Whales reveal just a tiny fraction of their bodies before quickly disappearing again, leaving observers puzzled as to who they…

|Observation of the Week 16/8/2017

Is Montréal’s and Québec City’s wastewater having an impact on whales?

By Maureen Jouglain The Montréal region alone produces 2/3 of the wastewater in Quebec. The province's second most densely populated…

|Whale Q&A 16/8/2017

Studying Gannets to better understand the feeding activities of whales

A text from Sonia Villalon The monitoring of northern gannet populations (Morus bassanus) is of particular interest for understanding changes…

|News 14/8/2017

A Week of Questions and Surprises!

On August 9, the Mingan Island Cetacean Study (MICS) team sets out on the water, taking advantage of a lull.…

|Observation of the Week 11/8/2017

Whale soup

Monday morning, August 7. My vacation kicks off and pushes me to the opposite coastline, in the direction of the…

|Field Notes 10/8/2017

Let’s Talk Whales! Online consultation on endangered whales

With Let’s Talk Whales, the Government of Canada is launching a comprehensive online public consultation on protective measures to implement…

|News 8/8/2017

Familiar Whales, Satisfied Observers

"This summer has been a busy one in Sept-Îles!" exclaims a resident observer from Gallix, near Sept-Îles. Since 1989, he…

|Observation of the Week 4/8/2017

On the path of the blue whale: from the St-Lawrence to the United States

By Maureen Jouglain A study published in July 2017 in the journal Endangered Species Research presents the first records of…

|News 3/8/2017

Marine mammal emergencies season in full swing

With the call centre team handling dozens of calls daily already in these first few days of August, the season…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 2/8/2017

Harbour Porpoise: Investigation in the Marine Park!

It all begins on the morning of July 10, 2017, a rather ordinary day. The weather is fairly mild, visibility…

|Field Notes 30/7/2017

With the belugas: weeks of July 10 and 17, 2017

Our team began to see the first calves of the year several weeks ago already, but in the past two…

|Field Notes 28/7/2017

Whales in the nets

As evidenced by the news in the past few weeks, when whales get entangled in fishing gear, there can be…

|News 28/7/2017

Intriguing Observations

"Is it possible to see a killer whale in Saint-Siméon in the Charlevoix region?", asks a camper who notices a…

|Observation of the Week 27/7/2017

Are sonars used to locate whales?

By Maureen Jouglain From the inflatable boat to the large ferry, every whale-watching boat is equipped with a radar and…

|Whale Q&A 27/7/2017

Good navigation practices for Beluga conservation

In this beluga calving season, Fisheries and Oceans Canada's "Show you care, keep your distance!" awareness campaign reminds us of…

|News 25/7/2017

A great show in Gaspesie

When you take a whale-watching trip, you need to be lucky to observe a breaching session. To watch two such…

|Field Notes 24/7/2017

Searching for Whales to Research

Photo-identifying the minke whales of the Estuary is one of the objectives of the team at Mériscope, which is based…

|Observation of the Week 21/7/2017

Less and less oxygen in the St. Lawrence

During their recent mission aboard the Coriolis II, researchers observed the lowest concentrations of dissolved oxygen ever recorded in the…

|News 21/7/2017

In Pursuit of the Fin Whale

Last July 13, 2017, I spent my day on the water in search of large rorquals to photograph. The weather…

|Field Notes 18/7/2017

My most faithful humpback

According to data provided by the Mingan Island Cetacean Study, the humpback whale H626 (MICS catalogue number) – known as…

|Field Notes 17/7/2017

With the Belugas: Week of July 3, 2017

Identifying  Individual Belugas Belugas are not one of the most easily recognizable whale species. They do not systematically show their…

|Field Notes 14/7/2017

Who am I?

Teeming with marine life, the St. Lawrence Estuary is a wonderful place. As a research assistant at the Group for…

|Field Notes 13/7/2017

Diversity of Species and Behaviours to Discover

"They come here to eat."... a phrase often repeated by captains and naturalists from the get-go when speaking to the…

|Observation of the Week 13/7/2017

Whale alert app now available in French

Whale Alert, an application developed to reduce the risk of collisions between ships and whales, is now available in French.…

|News 12/7/2017

With the belugas: week of June 26, 2017

Belugas of Baie Sainte-Marguerite Baie Sainte-Marguerite is probably one of the most enigmatic places within the St. Lawrence beluga population’s…

|Field Notes 10/7/2017

Whale-watching tours: opportunities to educate and raise awareness?

A case study in Juneau, Alaska demonstrates the potential of whale-watching tours as an educational and public awareness tool for…

|News 7/7/2017

How can a beluga survive out of water?

By Maureen Jouglain The rescue operation of the beluga trapped in the Nepisiguit River, New Brunswick, raised the question: how…

|Whale Q&A 6/7/2017

Are there any beluga nurseries in the St. Lawrence?

Topic of my Master’s project: Investigation of Allomothering in St. Lawrence Belugas For a long time, studies of cetaceans were…

|Field Notes 5/7/2017

Mark your calendar: Talk “Where everything revolved around whales”

An invitation to travel through "Whale Civilization" The kick-off for summer talks has finally arrived! For the first gathering of…

|News 4/7/2017

What is the function of the callosities in right whales?

By Sonia Villalon The callosities in right whales are irregular patches of thickened and keratinized tissues. These tissues are habitat…

|Whale Q&A 29/6/2017

With the belugas: week of June 19, 2017

Rolling the Dice After a first week spent in the upstream sector on the north shore side, the week of…

|Field Notes 28/6/2017

A Breath of Fresh Air in Gaspésie

Good news: five newborn humpback whales have been sighted so far off the Gaspé Peninsula: "a figure that is already…

|Observation of the Week 28/6/2017

St. Lawrence week: fin whale

By Marie-Sophie Giroux  Rapid and Agile Greyhound of the Sea During the St. Lawrence Week, Whales Online features every day…

|News 28/6/2017

Minke Whales and Winter Seals in the Middle of Summer… followed by News from Afield Map!

"Good thing we at least have them!" joke several captains and naturalists from the Tadoussac – Les Escoumins region, referring…

|Observation of the Week 21/6/2017

Making of Film Of Whales, the Moon and Men Designated Historic Event

The making of the film Of Whales, the Moon and Men (1962) by Pierre Perrault, Michel Brault and Marcel Carrière…

|News 20/6/2017
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

With the belugas: the research season 2017 is on!

No sooner do we exit Tadoussac Bay when we spot a herd of belugas between Ilet-aux-Morts and Pointe-Noire. It was…

|Field Notes 19/6/2017

Supporting Research, one Raspberry Blanche at a Time

Is it possible to drink beer and support St. Lawrence beluga research at the same time? Yes, thanks to Les…

|News 19/6/2017

Individual Identification Possible, but Far from Easy

At the foot of the mountains rising above the Fjord, small groups of harbour seals lie on the rocks. They…

|Observation of the Week 16/6/2017
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

Banned flame retardants still present in St. Lawrence belugas

Despite the measures that have been put into place in Canada since 2006 to reduce the concentrations of certain flame…

|News 13/6/2017

St. Lawrence Week: Humpback Whale

As part of St. Lawrence Week, Whales Online offers a glimpse of species that have a special meaning for each…

|News 10/6/2017

Summer Frenzy in the Gulf

From a vantage point on Bonaventure Island off the Gaspé Peninsula, a park warden spots two humpback whales on June…

|Observation of the Week 9/6/2017

St. Lawrence Week: A Tribute to the Whales

During the St. Lawrence Week, from June 3 to June 11 2017, Whales Online features every day a different whale…

|News 9/6/2017

St. Lawrence Week: Blue Whale

As part of St. Lawrence Week, Whales Online offers a glimpse of species that have a special meaning for each…

|News 8/6/2017

St. Lawrence Week: North Atlantic Right Whale

 As part of St. Lawrence Week, Whales Online offers a glimpse of species that have a special meaning for each…

|News 7/6/2017

Second minke whale stranded in lévis in one year

Update On the afternoon of June 6, veterinarian Stéphane Lair conducted a cursory external exam of the minke whale. It was confirmed…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 6/6/2017

St. Lawrence Week: Minke Whale

  As part of St. Lawrence Week, Whales Online offers a glimpse of species that have a special meaning for…

|News 6/6/2017

Minke whale with calf and two fin whales

June 2, 2017. Foray off Tadoussac and an exceptional morning observation! According to my information, this is the first one…

|Field Notes 5/6/2017

The Godbout’s humpback whale: another milestone reached!

On May 3, the carcass of a young humpback whale was found beached in Godbout. Following sampling for research purposes,…

|Field Notes 2/6/2017

What was learned from the exceptional red tide of August 2008?

In an interview with Whales Online, phytoplankton ecology researcher Michel Starr from Fisheries and Oceans Canada answers the following question:…

|Whale Q&A 2/6/2017
petit rorqual

The Capelin are Rolling!

They're back! Whether it's in Baie-Comeau on the North Shore, or in Chandler in the Gaspé Peninsula, the capelin are…

|Observation of the Week 1/6/2017

The Beauty of New Life

The month of May is a bit chilly out on the water and windows of favourable weather are somewhat narrower…

|Field Notes 1/6/2017

Vaquita could disappear within a year

On September 26, 2018, scientists aboard the Narval spotted a pair of vaquitas: one of the individuals was much smaller…

|News 29/5/2017

Spouts, prey and migrations: a few stories

Off L'Anse-Saint-Georges in the Gaspé, a tour operator observes two spouts on May 24. The mushroom shape leads him to…

|Observation of the Week 25/5/2017

Blue Whale Feeding Disturbed by Nearby Watercraft

According to a recent study conducted by researchers at Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and the Rimouski-based Institute of Ocean…

|News 22/5/2017

Strange-looking Dolphins

Dark skin, long pectoral fins, a round head resembling that of a beluga, and a short beak: the pilot whale…

|Observation of the Week 19/5/2017

Summer closure of fisheries: a potential solution for protecting right whales?

To ensure the survival of the North Atlantic right whale, should we mitigate the risk of entanglements with fishing equipment?…

|News 18/5/2017

Focus: Harbor Seals of the Saguenay Fjord

In the past few days, spotting and locating minke whales and fin whales off the coast of Tadoussac has proven…

|Field Notes 18/5/2017

What is a “water column”?

In a number of Whales Online articles, the term "water column" is used. What does this refer to? From the…

|Whale Q&A 18/5/2017

My First Encounter with Pilot Whales

On Saturday, May 13, together with Katy Gavrilchuk and David Gaspard, members of the Mingan Islands Cetacean Study (MICS) team,…

|Field Notes 16/5/2017

Young Seal on the River Banks: Do Not Disturb!

The months of May and June are pupping season for harbour seals. Every year, the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 16/5/2017
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

Toward a better co-existence of shipping traffic and belugas in the St. Lawrence

To facilitate the recovery of whales at risk in the St. Lawrence, researchers, wildlife managers and industry are working together…

|News 15/5/2017

Large Rorquals and Ducks by the Thousands

Thousands of long-tailed ducks line the waters of the Estuary. Skilled divers, they plunge to depths of up to sixty…

|Observation of the Week 12/5/2017

Quantifying the Number of Belugas in the St. Lawrence

Article by Robert Michaud Fisheries and Oceans Canada recently published the results of the most recent St. Lawrence beluga census,…

|News 12/5/2017

Young Humpback Found Stranded in Godbout Given Second Life in Tadoussac

On the shores of the Côte-Nord region, near Godbout, a small humpback whale was reported to Marine Mammal Emergencies on…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 12/5/2017

A New Face

Dear readers, The most observant amongst you may have noticed a new name beneath some of our articles in the…

|Field Notes 11/5/2017

Exciting First Outing of the Spring

On Friday, May 5, I made my first trip out to sea of the 2017 season. Usually I make this…

|Field Notes 10/5/2017

Offshore Season Kicks Off in Tadoussac!

Since May 1, I finally have the pleasure once again to sail the waters of the St. Lawrence Estuary… to…

|Field Notes 9/5/2017

Tadoussac: The Whales are Back!

For a number of whale cruise operators in the Tadoussac region, the offshore season debuted the last weekend of April.…

|Observation of the Week 8/5/2017

Belugas and Gannets Downriver

A herd of belugas are swimming in tight formation off Pointe-aux-Outardes; they number about 40. Behind them, flocks of birds…

|Observation of the Week 27/4/2017

North Atlantic Right Whales Making Headlines: What’s Going On?

In recent months, the North Atlantic right whale has been much talked about. An unprecedented number of whales in Cape…

|News 27/4/2017

Studying Whale Breath: New Discoveries and Techniques

A Canadian-US research team has undertaken a study on the fungi and bacteria found in the breath of southern resident…

|News 21/4/2017

How does a predator go about eating an eight-legged prey almost as big as itself?

With no hands, how can one get the better of a live eight-armed prey measuring over one metre long equipped…

|News 20/4/2017

White, Black, Blue, Gray Animals…

Belugas, blue whales, humpbacks, minke whales, three species of seals ... the variety of marine mammals seen in the past…

|Observation of the Week 19/4/2017

Earth Day 2017: Three Gestures for the Whales

For the occasion of Earth Day (April 22), Whales Online proposes three simple actions to help preserve the ecosystems that…

|News 18/4/2017
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

DL220 off Cap de Bon-Désir!

April 10, 2017. Back on the rocks of Cap de Bon-Désir. Rather quickly, I spot with my binoculars a herd…

|Field Notes 12/4/2017

Citizens of the St. Lawrence, stay alert! Report any dead or vulnerable marine mammal to 1-877-7baleine

The Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network (QMMERN) relies on cooperative local citizens and fishermen to promptly report any dead or struggling…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 12/4/2017

“My first whales of the season!”

These same words were on the lips of a number of observers! Here they are, back in the St. Lawrence…

|Observation of the Week 11/4/2017

Three Baritone Rorquals

One, two… three spouts appear and remain suspended on the horizon for a few seconds. They're about four kilometres offshore.…

|Observation of the Week 7/4/2017

Where does the Estuary end and the Gulf begin? And what would make a species better adapted to the Gulf than to the Estuary?

When we speak of the St. Lawrence, we often hear the terms “Estuary” and “Gulf”. What do they mean? Where…

|Whale Q&A 6/4/2017
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

Amendment to the marine activities in the Saguenay-St.Lawrence park regulations: greater protection for whales

Reduced speed for all boats in certain areas, prohibition of certain activities, clarification of the definition of disturbance to marine…

|News 4/4/2017

Dead beluga stranded in magdalen islands; a carcass protected by law

On Saturday, a beluga washed up onto Fatima beach in the Magdalen Islands. The carcass is being eyed by local…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 3/4/2017

Can a whale be identified by its behaviour?

Many researchers identify whales using photo-identification, thus by their physical appearance. But can they identify individuals based on their behaviour?…

|Whale Q&A 31/3/2017

Fresh crab at the counters: a telltale sign

The snow crab season is underway, which is synonymous with the start of the "crab dinner" season. For some, this is…

|Observation of the Week 30/3/2017
Béluga carcasse

First beluga carcass of the year reported in gaspésie

The first beluga carcass of the year was reported to Marine Mammals Emergencies. A resident of the Gaspé Peninsula town…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 30/3/2017

Spring Reveals Two Dolphin Carcasses in Sainte-Flavie

Two white-sided dolphin carcasses were discovered in Sainte-Flavie on March 21. A resident of this Lower St. Lawrence town and…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 27/3/2017

A Breath of Spring

March 20 marked the spring equinox, when day and night are of equal duration, and will end with the summer…

|Observation of the Week 23/3/2017

First Days of Spring in Haute-Côte-Nord

March 21, 2017. Afternoon of dream at the Cape of Bon-Désir, near Les Bergeronnes. A river ever so serene. As…

|Field Notes 22/3/2017

Call of the Baby Beluga aired on National Geographic

Interview with Michael Parfit and Suzanne Chisholm, director and producer National Geographic's prestigious TV channel Nat Geo Wild will broadcast…

|News 22/3/2017

Observation Round-up, from the Estuary to the Gulf

Winter is a relatively calm period for marine mammal enthusiasts. Nevertheless, many observers stare out to sea, constantly on the…

|Observation of the Week 17/3/2017

Doing research in winter: here is what happens at the GREMM

In summer, the Bleuvet and BpJAM ply the waters of the St. Lawrence and the Saguenay Fjord to study the…

|Field Notes 17/3/2017

Harbour Porpoise Shows Fastest Developing Hearing Amongst Mammals

Thirty hours: that’s all it takes for harbour porpoises to develop their hearing to the same level as adults. In…

|News 16/3/2017

Vancouver Aquarium: end of captivity for cetaceans

On March 9, after two evenings of public hearings, the Vancouver Parks Commission decided: there will be no more cetaceans…

|News 13/3/2017

Why is plastic sometimes found in the stomachs of whales?

How is it that 30 plastic bags find their way into the stomach of a cetacean? The issue was raised…

|Whale Q&A 10/3/2017
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

Whitecaps and Blue Mountain at the Water Surface

February 28: from his "lookout" – i.e. the porch of his house – a member of the Marine Mammal Interpretation…

|Observation of the Week 9/3/2017

Intimidating Predators in a Less Icy Arctic

Marine mammal populations are accustomed to spending their summers in certain predator-free parts of the Arctic to give birth to,…

|News 6/3/2017

Visiting Blue Whale in Godbout

On February 23, off the village of Godbout, a large rorqual approaches the coast. Its long back glides across the…

|Observation of the Week 2/3/2017

Dead Whale Adrift Amongst the Gaspé Ice Floes

Reports have been flying back and forth for the past three days: a whale carcass has been drifting along the…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 27/2/2017

Giant of Giants Honoured at Toronto’s Royal Ontario Museum

On March 11, the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto will launch its new exhibition dedicated to the largest animal the…

|News 27/2/2017

Counting whales from space

Can whales be counted using photos taken from outer space? Two researchers from Perth, Australia, are attempting to conduct a…

|News 25/2/2017

Copious Meal for Two Blue Whales

Their gaping mouth expands like an accordion thanks to the skin folds of the throat and belly, while their baleen…

|Observation of the Week 23/2/2017

A Mysterious Tail

On February 4, a resident in the Godbout region on the North Shore captures on film the tail of a…

|Observation of the Week 16/2/2017

Whale Week 2017: February 13-17

Organized by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the event aims to raise public awareness about whales and to…

|News 16/2/2017

Hundreds of Whales Beached in New Zealand

Last weekend, over 600 pilot whales ran aground at Farewell Spit Beach in New Zealand. Hundreds of volunteers attempted to…

|News 15/2/2017
port de mer

US standards to reduce global bycatch?

Since January 1, 2017, the United States has adopted a new seafood import regulation: foreign fisheries wishing to export to…

|News 13/2/2017

Are humpback whales saving other species being hunted by killer whales?

Yes. For example, in 2012 in Monterey Bay, California, a BBC team filmed the intervention of two humpbacks to protect…

|Whale Q&A 13/2/2017

“Surfing” amidst the Pack Ice

Surprisingly, there are a handful of enthusiasts who continue to practise this sport even in the middle of winter in…

|Observation of the Week 12/2/2017

Driving over 500 km to See Belugas

"Beluga-watching in winter!" exclaims a Whales Online subscriber after reading the Field Notes Still Plenty of Belugas on the Upper…

|Observation of the Week 9/2/2017
Six bélugas et deux épaulards gardés captifs depuis plusieurs mois ont été remis en liberté. © GREMM

When opera embraces belugas: an encounter of great beauty!

A mother beluga and her offspring gracefully slip through the waters of the St. Lawrence under the watchful eye of…

|News 8/2/2017

Fernand-Seguin Scholarship 2017: the Next Generation of Science Journalism

Get out your pens, cameras and computers! The Fernand-Seguin 2017 Scholarship is underway! Since 1981, this competition has represented an…

|News 8/2/2017

Return of Whales to Côte-Nord

Measuring 15 to 20 metres long and weighing in at 35 to 100 tonnes, large rorquals swim beneath the water…

|Observation of the Week 3/2/2017

Which cetacean is most at risk of extinction?

According to the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), it would be the vaquita. This…

|Whale Q&A 3/2/2017

Marine Mammals in a Warmer and Less Icy St. Lawrence

A study released this month by the Maurice Lamontagne Institute of Fisheries and Oceans Canada reveals that significant changes are…

|News 31/1/2017

Drawing Contest Mon fleuve et moi, 2016-2017 Edition

Through their drawings, Quebec students aged 6 through 20 are invited to depict their dream activity related to the St.…

|News 27/1/2017

Tips for Surviving the Cold in Quebec

January 18: hundreds of Barrow's goldeneye take wing amidst the ice floes off Cap de Bon-Desir. They're not alone. The…

|Observation of the Week 26/1/2017

Still plenty of belugas on the upper north shore

By Renaud Pintiaux January 17 and 18: I’m back on the rocks of Cape de Bon-Desir. Once again, it’s the…

|Field Notes 26/1/2017

Fin Whale Carcass in Montmagny: Flashback to 1988

A few weeks ago, a botanist passionate about nature and wildlife took advantage of a winter day to sort through…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 25/1/2017

Baby on mom’s left or right?

Do you tend to carry your baby on your left? And does your child tend to position themselves so that…

|News 24/1/2017

Why leap out of the water when one weighs over 30 tonnes?

Known as breaches in scientific jargon, these leaps out of the water that whales perform serve notably to communicate with…

|Whale Q&A 23/1/2017

Daniel Pauly, Radio-Canada’s 2016 Scientist of the Year, will be featured on the program Les années lumière

His involvement "for having revealed the true scale of overfishing in the planet's oceans" has led him to become the…

|News 20/1/2017

Is it normal to see seals on the ice?

Calls made to 1-877-7baleine since the end of last year were mostly from witnesses who observed seals lying on the…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 19/1/2017

Four-legged Underwater Hunters

Harp seals by the hundreds on the ice at Sainte-Flavie and Pointe-au-Père, groups of harp seals off Les Escoumins, gray…

|Observation of the Week 17/1/2017

A Recovery Plan for Alaskan Belugas

In these early days of 2017, the US government released its Cook Inlet Beluga Whale Recovery Plan, a population listed…

|News 12/1/2017

How did baleen appear?

A recently discovered whale fossil has proven to be an important piece of the puzzle with regard to whale evolution.…

|Whale Q&A 11/1/2017

Start of 2017 in Haute-Côte-Nord: A Fin Whale and a Group of Belugas

By Renaud Pintiaux The year’s off to a great start! January 2: I’ve no sooner arrived at Cap de Bon-Desir,…

|Field Notes 10/1/2017

Baby Beluga in the Limelight in 2016

Reported on Radio-Canada’s website by journalist Ariane Perron-Langlois, the story of the live newborn beluga found beached was one of…

|News 10/1/2017

Volunteering for Marine Mammal Emergencies

Every year since 2012, the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network has been recruiting volunteers who are available and motivated…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 10/1/2017

Trans Mountain and Killer Whales: Underestimated Impacts?

On November 29, the Trudeau government gave the go-ahead for the proposed expansion of the Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain pipeline…

|News 21/12/2016

If Belugas and Narwhals Cohabit the Arctic, is it Possible That These Whales Once Swam Side by Side in The Champlain Sea?

Being that they frequent the same territory, narwhals do occasionally come into contact with belugas in the Arctic, without necessarily…

|Whale Q&A 21/12/2016

New Marine Protected Area in the Canadian Arctic

On November 16, Fisheries and Oceans Canada announced the creation of the largest Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the Canadian…

|News 20/12/2016

Marine Mammal Emergencies: an Active and Essential Network

In its 12th season, 1-877-7baleine team expended considerable effort to process no fewer than 410 calls from citizens reporting dead…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 20/12/2016

Black Bubbling at the Water Surface

Actually, it's harp seals moving around energetically in the water. Solo, in pairs, by the handful or by the dozen,…

|Observation of the Week 16/12/2016

Busy Fall at 1-877-7baleine

One would've thought that the off season translates into peace and quiet at the Marine Mammal Emergencies call centre, but…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 14/12/2016

Humpbacks in 3D at the Montréal Science Centre

Dive into the splendid waters of Alaska, Hawaii and the Kingdom of Tonga for an immersive experience in the heart…

|News 12/12/2016

Observations at Sea and on Land, during the Day and at Night

It is always surprising to encounter whales that are believed to have left for the Atlantic as soon as autumn…

|Observation of the Week 9/12/2016

Blue Whale Found Dead in St. Lawrence Waters

A rare occurrence in the St. Lawrence; researchers of the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network confirmed this week that…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 7/12/2016

Are killer whales a threat to the marine mammal populations that they feed on?

Predation alone does not generally pose a threat to the sustainability of a population. It is often associated with other…

|Whale Q&A 7/12/2016

Two Belugas Die at the Vancouver Aquarium… Now What?

Last week, Aurora, a female beluga who spent the last 26 years of her life at the Vancouver Aquarium, died…

|News 5/12/2016

Marine Mammal Diversity at the Dawn of Winter

As the first snow falls on the St. Lawrence, some whales continue to behave as if summer has never ended.…

|Observation of the Week 1/12/2016

End of November: Two Humpbacks and a Survivor!… by Renaud Pintiaux

November 25, 2016, Cap de Bon-Désir: moderate winds from the northeast and a few flurries begin to fall this morning.…

|Field Notes 1/12/2016
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

Become an Earth Ranger and Help Protect Belugas !

The Earth Rangers organization helps protect St. Lawrence belugas and invites all children and their families to participate in the…

|News 30/11/2016
marsouin commun

Birds and Marine Mammals, Focus on Gray Seals and… a Jellyfish!

Rain and wind have pummelled the Haute-Côte-Nord region in recent days, but no matter! I've been spending a lot of…

|Field Notes 23/11/2016

Narwhals Use Sound… Like a Flashlight!

The narwhal, sometimes called the unicorn of the sea, is not an imaginary creature. It is a real animal, but…

|News 21/11/2016
béluga

Belugas entrusted to Quebec premier and canadian prime minister

Scientists are concerned: not only have the federal and provincial governments been slow to implement a recovery strategy for the…

|News 18/11/2016

Rare adult hooded seals on shore!

An employee of Saumon Gaspé (Translator's note: a salmon fishing outfitter) was in for a surprise on Tuesday morning as…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 18/11/2016
© René Roy

National oceans protection plan: necessary but….

Last week, the Government of Canada announced its $1.5 billion, 5-year National Oceans Protection Plan. The plan aims to create…

|News 17/11/2016

Who are these minke whales?

By Mériscope October 23, 2016: last trip out to sea. The 6th season of photo-identifying St. Lawrence minke whales is…

|Field Notes 17/11/2016

Whales Slow to Migrate

"The whales are on a reproduction strike", jokes a News from Afield collaborator following her observation of two humpback whales…

|Observation of the Week 16/11/2016

On the Rocks of Cap de Bon-Désir

The season on the water is over, but marine mammals have yet to leave the area! From November 5 to…

|Field Notes 15/11/2016

Final Trip Offshore for the 2016 Season and an Exceptional Observation!

November 5: we're back on the waters of the Estuary for the last whale-watching cruise of 2016. Shortly after leaving…

|Field Notes 10/11/2016

I seem to think I saw a killer whale in Tadoussac this summer; is this possible?

It's not impossible, but there were no confirmed sightings in the Gulf of St. Lawrence this season. Perhaps it was…

|Whale Q&A 8/11/2016

Early November and Continuing Action off Tadoussac!

The field season is drawing to a close, and for real this time! Nevertheless, whales are still numerous off Tadoussac…

|Field Notes 7/11/2016

Revelation of the Year: Mingan Humpbacks in my Backyard!… by René Roy

I didn't suspect that I would close out the 2016 season with so many humpback sightings in the Estuary. This…

|Field Notes 3/11/2016

With the Belugas: Week of October 10, 2016

Final Week with the Belugas Autumn has now been in full swing in Tadoussac for a few weeks and, as…

|Field Notes 3/11/2016

Autumn Abundance

The fall harvest has been bountiful" writes in a St. Lawrence regular, visibly excited following all the large rorquals he…

|Observation of the Week 2/11/2016

And the Season Continues!

The offshore season has been extended one week... Awesome! On October 30, ours was the only boat out at sea.…

|Field Notes 2/11/2016

“No Maritime Strategy without a Beluga Strategy” Warn Nature Québec and CPAWS Quebec

At a press conference on November 1, 2016, Nature Québec and CPAWS Quebec call for a beluga strategy in response…

|News 1/11/2016

Focus on Fin Whales

December 9, 2015: from the rocks of Cap de Bon-Desir, I spotted five fin whales with my binoculars and took…

|Field Notes 31/10/2016

Scientists Remain Concerned about Belugas

The 2016 season adds to the spate of St. Lawrence beluga mortalities: 14 carcasses were recovered and examined. It's not…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 27/10/2016

With the Belugas: Week of October 3rd, 2016

This week we speak with Anthony Simond, who spent two weeks aboard the Bleuvet in September 2016 to collect bacteria…

|Field Notes 25/10/2016

Marine Mammal Emergencies “Detectives”

This morning, a resident of the Bas-Saint-Laurent region reported the carcass of a toothed whale with a dark back and…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 25/10/2016

What makes the St. Lawrence so productive?

The St. Lawrence River is known for its rich waters and high production of phytoplankton, the basis of the food…

|Whale Q&A 24/10/2016

A Special Visitor off Tadoussac

October 17: offshore foray out of Tadoussac. Near Prince Shoal, we first cross paths with several minke whales feeding near…

|Field Notes 22/10/2016

Small Whales in Big Numbers!

By Olivia Capeillere Since the beginning of fall, large rorquals have been everywhere along the St. Lawrence Estuary, but this…

|Observation of the Week 20/10/2016

Zipper, Trou, Gray Seals and Minke Whales

October 13, 2016: With the beautiful autumn light and breathtaking landscapes, it was another splendid trip out to sea from…

|Field Notes 20/10/2016

A Whale’s History Written in its Baleen

Biologists are still learning to read the life history of individual whales by studying their baleen. Just like the growth…

|News 20/10/2016

Ending the Season with a Bang

It's getting colder offshore; the season is drawing to a close. Nevertheless, Thanksgiving weekend was wonderful, with regard to both…

|Observation of the Week 16/10/2016

Live Stranded Dolphins: Story from an Anticosti Island Resident

Marine Mammal Emergencies has been busy since early fall, especially with incidents involving live stranded dolphins. On September 28, six…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 14/10/2016

With the Belugas: Week of September 26, 2016

Curious Belugas... and a Humpback This week we are resuming regular photo-ID work of our St. Lawrence belugas. We're treated…

|Field Notes 10/10/2016

Birds and humpbacks galore!

By Olivia Capeillere As we enter into early fall, observers everywhere along the St. Lawrence Estuary and Gulf have been…

|Observation of the Week 8/10/2016

Great Diversity off the Coasts of our Villages

The past several days have been quite spectacular off the coasts of our villages. What diversity! There is a strong…

|Field Notes 4/10/2016

Autumn: an awesome season if you don’t mind the cold and want to see blue whales…

In the Lower Estuary, it seems that fall is the best time to observe blue whales. Compared to other species,…

|Field Notes 3/10/2016

With the Belugas: Weeks of September 5, 12, and 19, 2016

Beluga Pregnancy Tests: Data Collection Complete! The fourth and final collection of biopsies to determine the proportion of pregnant female…

|Field Notes 30/9/2016

Pleasant Surprises at Season’s End

By Olivia Capeillere Autumn has truly arrived. Offshore, chilly temps are on the menu and so are the whales! Blue…

|Observation of the Week 29/9/2016

Beluga Skeleton at Collège Lionel-Groulx

Since late August 2016, there has been a new permanent resident in the Nature Wing of the Collège Lionel-Groulx: a…

|News 29/9/2016

Beluga Skeleton at Lionel-Groulx College

Since late August 2016, there has been a new permanent resident in the Nature Wing of the Collège Lionel-Groulx: a…

|News 29/9/2016

What should be done if a cetacean is stranded alive?

Last August 29, a mother and daughter found a live harbour porpoise stranded on the beach in the town of…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 28/9/2016

Nine Populations of Humpbacks Taken off Endangered Species List

On September 6, 2016, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the US agency that manages and protects whale stocks,…

|News 26/9/2016

October 6 and 7, 2016 – AquaHacking Summit: United for the St. Lawrence

For two days – Thursday, October 6 and Friday, October 7, 2016 – the St. Lawrence River will be the…

|News 26/9/2016

19 to 25 September 2016: Science Literacy Week

Science Literacy Week highlights Canada’s outstanding scientists and science communicators from coast-to-coast. The goals are to showcase the excellence and…

|News 20/9/2016

Analysis of a Trip Out to See the Giants…

When searching for large rorquals, just because you have a good boat and you head to a known offshore feeding…

|Field Notes 20/9/2016

How is climate change affecting whales?

By Olivia Capeillere Several studies support the hypothesis that climate change will have negative impacts on whales. Three main impacts…

|Whale Q&A 20/9/2016

With the Belugas: Week of August 29, 2016

Chatty males! This week, we took advantage of the gorgeous weather to visit the downstream sector, where we regularly encounter…

|Field Notes 12/9/2016

Renowned Blue Whales… by Jaclyn Aubin

Today I would like to share a particularly phenomenal cruise that I had the chance to take. Arriving at our…

|Field Notes 9/9/2016

Fish, Seals, Birds, Whales and Company!

What diversity in the St. Lawrence! Observers have an extremely diverse list of species to report these past few days,…

|Observation of the Week 7/9/2016

Safer Fishing Rope for Whales

The US government recently granted $180,000 to the New England Aquarium to design safer fishing gear for whales – namely…

|News 6/9/2016

The Almost Mythical Blue Whale… by Audrey Tawel-Thibert

More than ten years ago, I first laid eyes on the largest animal that Earth has ever seen: the blue…

|Field Notes 6/9/2016

With the Belugas: Week of August 22, 2016

The Astonishing Miss Frontenac This week, fog forced us to work once again in the Saguenay, but luck is on…

|Field Notes 3/9/2016

Return of Blanco

August 30, 2016: a long 10-hour day out on the water. Eighty-five nautical miles cruising along the south and north…

|Field Notes 2/9/2016

Tail of a Fin Whale

Another beautiful morning on the water off of Tadoussac. Variable cloudiness and calm waters. A pair of fin whales near…

|Field Notes 1/9/2016

Breaching Minke Whale and Surface Feeding Humpback

More great moments were enjoyed off Tadoussac on the morning of August 25, 2016. Moderate winds from the southwest and…

|Field Notes 1/9/2016

Return of the Big Blue

It is said that the St. Lawrence is one of the best places in the world to observe blue whales,…

|Observation of the Week 31/8/2016

Collision off Les Bergeronnes: Lessons to be Learned?

On Monday, August 29, a Zodiac captain working for Croisières Essipit and a passenger were thrown overboard from their tour…

|News 31/8/2016

With the Belugas: Week of August 15, 2016

Belugas of Cook Inlet (cont'd.) Second week with belugas in Alaska. Even if the scenery and water colour are a…

|Field Notes 29/8/2016
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

Boater Awareness

In the latest issue of its magazine Plaisance (September 2016), the Regroupement des plaisanciers du Québec (Quebec boaters society, RQP) reminds recreational boaters of…

|News 25/8/2016

Struggling Belugas in the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park

Last week, Marine Mammal Emergencies received several calls for two vulnerable belugas: one near the Pointe-Noire observation site at the…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 25/8/2016

“Unprecedented!”

It seems that late August is bringing its fair share of unique moments to observers on the St. Lawrence. In…

|Observation of the Week 24/8/2016

Meeting Up with Giants… by Jaclyn Aubin

"The blue whale is the biggest whale, right?" That's a question I hear often. Well yes! The blue whale, which can…

|Field Notes 24/8/2016

When the Humpback Comes to the Table… by Audrey Tawel-Thibert

On the afternoon of August 16, 2016, a young humpback whale, probably Fleuret's calf, was surface feeding. Together with other…

|Field Notes 23/8/2016

The Pictures Speak for Themselves

Following a fantastic day off Tadoussac on August 17, 2016, here is an album exceptionally full of photos, all taken…

|Field Notes 22/8/2016

With the Belugas: Week of August 8, 2016

With the Belugas… of Cook Inlet From August 10 to 23, the Bleuvet team defected to go lend a hand…

|Field Notes 19/8/2016

Fins to the Sky

When whales surface, they show only one twentieth of their body. One should therefore expect to see just their back…

|Observation of the Week 18/8/2016

Objective Blue Whale: Guided by the Colour of their Excrement

Despite pleasant summertime temperatures, sustained winds of 20 to 35 knots force me to stay downwind of Cap Gaspé. I…

|Field Notes 18/8/2016

A Forest of Spouts…

On the morning of August 13, as the tide was rising, we identify a group of fin whales in the…

|Field Notes 18/8/2016

Cetacean Beauty and Acrobatics

Lots of action off shore in recent days. Of course, there are those rarities that have been observed on several…

|Field Notes 17/8/2016

Encounter with a Gray Seal… by Jaclyn Aubin

In recent weeks, it seems impossible to go out on the water without seeing at least a hundred or so…

|Field Notes 15/8/2016

Do humpbacks form clans?

Associations between individuals of the same species are well documented in toothed whales. Indeed, the formation of social "clans" has…

|Whale Q&A 13/8/2016

Diversity and Amazement in the St. Lawrence

The past few days have been emotionally rich for observers along the St. Lawrence. First, the presence of a narwhal…

|Observation of the Week 11/8/2016

With the Belugas: Week of August 1st, 2016

Calves, calves, and more calves. The beluga calving season is in full swing. Despite the newborn mortalities recorded in recent…

|Field Notes 11/8/2016

Narwhal on the Run – Updated August 10, 2016

On July 29, the GREMM team observed a narwhal in a group of belugas off the coast of Trois-Pistoles. A…

|Observation of the Week 10/8/2016

The Famous Breach of the Humpback… by Audrey Tawel-Thibert

The morning of August 5 is a difficult one out on the water. Shooting photos from a small Zodiac is…

|Field Notes 7/8/2016

With the Belugas: Week of July 25, 2016

This week we give the floor to our collaborator Valeria Vergara, a research scientist at the Vancouver Aquarium, who has…

|Field Notes 4/8/2016

Rising Sun over the St. Lawrence… by Jaclyn Aubin

In the past few months, I've learned that photo-identification work has nothing to do with artistic photography. Indeed, it is…

|Field Notes 2/8/2016

A Tragic Series Continues

Third Young Beluga Found Stranded this Season In the late morning hours of July 31, Marine Mammal Emergencies received a…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 1/8/2016

Gray Seals, Minke Whales, Fin Whales and Spectacular Scenery

In recent days, we've been observing gatherings of hundreds of gray seals off of Tadoussac. Above them, flocks of herring…

|Field Notes 1/8/2016
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

Can whales survive in fresh water?

Cetaceans are marine mammals, which are adapted to living in the salt waters of the various seas and oceans of…

|Whale Q&A 30/7/2016
pectorale bosse

Surprising Observations

The stories coming in this week from our News from Afield observers are exciting; not only is the diversity impressive,…

|Observation of the Week 28/7/2016

July 29-31: Beluga watching awareness campaign

For the second consecutive year, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Parks Canada are encouraging recreational boaters to adopt good practices…

|News 27/7/2016
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

With the Belugas: Week of July 18, 2016

Mom, Can You Hear Me? — Continuation In the summer of 2015, we carried out a pilot project to assess…

|Field Notes 27/7/2016
bébé béluga

Leave it or learn

Last June 30, when a newborn beluga orphan was found on a beach in Rivière-du-Loup, a team from the Group for Research and…

|News 26/7/2016

With the Belugas: Week of July 11, 2016

Start of the Calving Season For belugas, the calving period runs from June to September. So it's no wonder that…

|Field Notes 22/7/2016

Spectacular Diversity… by Jaclyn Aubin

It is often said that the St. Lawrence is a smorgasbord for whales. Indeed, the river has several characteristics that…

|Field Notes 21/7/2016

Powerful Spouts, Beaming Sun, Shear Awe… by Renaud Pintiaux

Four to six fin whales have set up camp in recent days in the area between Tadoussac and Les Escoumins.…

|Field Notes 21/7/2016

Do Sperm Whales have any Predators?… by Olivia Capeillere

Toothed whales are generally much smaller than baleen whales. However, the sperm whale is a toothed whale that can grow…

|Whale Q&A 20/7/2016

5th Beluga Carcass for 2016

A kayaker was the first to report a beluga carcass when he contacted the media yesterday morning, July 17. Marine…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 18/7/2016

It’s All a Matter of Food!

It's a well known fact: the St. Lawrence is a vast, open-air buffet for cetaceans. The abundance of prey is…

|Observation of the Week 16/7/2016

With the Belugas: Week of July 4, 2016

A late start but some big reunions... After a series of mechanical problems, the Bleuvet is finally back on the water this…

|Field Notes 14/7/2016

Amazing Fin Whales… by Jaclyn Aubin

Despite several days of adverse conditions, last week proved to be very conducive for observing fin whales in the Marine…

|Field Notes 14/7/2016

Flame Retardants in St. Lawrence Whales

[caption id="attachment_20043" align="alignright" width="250"] L'équipe du Mériscope © Mériscope[/caption] The Mériscope team is excited. This is the beginning of the…

|News 14/7/2016

Rediscovering Whales by Ear… by Audrey Tawel-Thibert

When we boarded the boat at 11:30 a.m. on June 28, I had noticed the layer of fog that was shrouding…

|Field Notes 11/7/2016

What kind of whaling was practised in the St. Lawrence?

Well before the arrival of the first Europeans, the Iroquois practised traditional whaling in the St. Lawrence River. Archaeological studies…

|Whale Q&A 9/7/2016

Right Whales in the Waters of the Gulf

Week after week, the same pattern has been emerging throughout the St. Lawrence. Rorquals are very much present, sometimes observed…

|Observation of the Week 8/7/2016

Rescue Attempt of a Young Beluga Stranded Alive – Updated July 7, 2016: Video Posted

On June 30, 2016, a female beluga just a few hours old was found stranded alive in Rivière-du-Loup. The team…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 7/7/2016

Humpbacks off of Cap Gaspé

Thursday, June 30: two friends and I set out for L'Anse-au-Griffon for a "hit-and-run" birding mission. Our goal is to…

|Field Notes 7/7/2016

Humpbacks in the Spotlight

In recent days the waters of the St. Lawrence have been host to a variety of marine mammals, but humpback…

|Observation of the Week 2/7/2016

Are Atlantic Gray Whales Really Extinct?

Today only three populations of gray whales are found in the Pacific Ocean. The North Atlantic population was extirpated in…

|Whale Q&A 30/6/2016

A Gam of Fin Whales in the Gaspé

After several days of waiting in early June, a window of favourable weather finally arrived on June 18. And so…

|Field Notes 30/6/2016

Raspberry White Beer on Sale Now, For the Belugas!

Launched this spring by Les Bières Béluga Ltée, last week a new raspberry-flavoured white beer hit the shelves of numerous…

|News 30/6/2016

Fresh Beluga Carcass Found in Sainte-Flavie

On the morning of June 28, the municipality of Sainte-Flavie received a call from citizens who had discovered a beluga…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 28/6/2016

Drones and Whales

Recently, whale-watching guides and companies have expressed concerns about drones flying near killer whales off the west coasts of Canada…

|News 28/6/2016

Under the Summer Sun: Yogi, a Few Rorquals and a Curious Seal

June 24, 2016: a fantastic trip off of Tadoussac to celebrate Saint-Jean Baptiste Day! Bright sun, light winds. Breathtaking landscapes. Our…

|Field Notes 27/6/2016

Following Researchers at Sea

Several research teams made their inaugural trips of the season in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence in recent…

|Field Notes 22/6/2016

Observations by the Ton

Observers at sea and on land are excited, and for good reason! The St. Lawrence River is teeming with life,…

|Observation of the Week 21/6/2016
© GREMM

Remarkable mobilization for the adoption of the beluga Amino

On June 12, 2016, following the broadcast of Animo on ICI Radio-Canada Télé, viewers rallied in large numbers to collectively adopt the eponymously-named…

|News 20/6/2016

Does Watching Belugas from a Kayak Disturb Them?

There is a common misconception that a kayak has no effect on belugas and other whales because it is a…

|Whale Q&A 18/6/2016

Final journey of a Sowerby’s beaked whale

A Sowerby’s beaked whale was reported to 1-877-7baleine on Monday, June 13 on the shores of Escuminac in the Gaspé…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 17/6/2016

The St. Lawrence as a Performance Stage

Minke whales are now a rather common sight in the St. Lawrence, sometimes alone, sometimes a half dozen or more…

|Observation of the Week 15/6/2016

Study Reveals Exceptional Efficiency of a Small Hunter

The harbour porpoise feeds day and night, aiming to capture up to 550 small fish per hour, with a success…

|News 10/6/2016

The Power of Fin Whales and the Energy of Minke Whales

On the morning of June 3, as our boat sat motionless for several minutes off the Prince Shoal Lighthouse, two…

|Field Notes 9/6/2016

Greyhounds of the Sea Making a Splash

The weather this week has not been conducive to observations in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence. The weather…

|Observation of the Week 8/6/2016

Young Seal Disturbed at Cap-aux-Os: Key Things to Remember

A young harbour seal was reported last week on a Gaspé Bay beach. The case sparked many reactions and unprecedented…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 7/6/2016

What makes whales breach?

In an interview with Hal Whitehead, researcher at Dalhousie University, Canada, Whales Online asked him the following question: What makes…

|Whale Q&A 7/6/2016

Mortality of a Female Beluga

On 29 May 2016, an article about a beluga carcasse found in Les Escoumins was published. The fresh carcass was transported to the…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 6/6/2016

At Least Six Fin Whales off Tadoussac

On the morning of May 31, it was a thrill to locate no fewer than six fin whales between Prince…

|Field Notes 4/6/2016

Energy East Pipeline: GREMM Brief Made Public

Although TransCanada abandoned its oil terminal project in Cacouna in April 2015, whales of the St. Lawrence are still threatened…

|News 3/6/2016

Whales are Back

Emotions are running high as a new season gets under way. Cruises in the Gaspé Bay region began operating on…

|Observation of the Week 2/6/2016

Five Fin Whales, a Minke Whale in Action and a Festival of Jaegers

On the morning of May 29, we observe five fin whales offshore between Tadoussac and Les Bergeronnes. Their huge blasts…

|Field Notes 1/6/2016

June 4 through 12, 2016: Week of the St. Lawrence

Stratégies Saint-Laurent, the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation and 33 other organizations invite Quebec citizens to celebrate the river during the…

|News 1/6/2016

First Trip of the Season in Gaspé

The first trip of the season is definitely one of the most exhilarating. The excitement of being on the water…

|Field Notes 30/5/2016

A Week Full of Emotions!

Pairs of harbour porpoises in Franquelin, four fin whales off of Tadoussac, a large rorqual in Baie-des-Sables in the Gaspé…

|Observation of the Week 27/5/2016
© Spencer Wright

A sanctuary for cetaceans: a controversial project

A group of activists has announced its plans to create the world’s first coastal sanctuary for cetaceans – whales, dolphins,…

|News 24/5/2016

25 May 2016: Launch of a beer for St. Lawrence marine mammals

This Wednesday 25 May, from 4 to 7 pm, join us at the Broue Pub Brouhaha Ahuntsic for the launch of the…

|News 24/5/2016

Signs of Life, from Charlevoix to the Gaspé

Great news for those eagerly awaiting the return of whales in the St. Lawrence: cruise operators, land-based observers and researchers…

|Observation of the Week 20/5/2016

Live Seal Pup on the Beach: What Should You Do?

The months of May and June correspond to the pupping season for harbour seals. Every year, the Quebec Marine Mammal…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 19/5/2016
bébé béluga

Critical St.Lawrence beluga habitat to be protected at last

The Government of Canada has published a notice in the Canada Gazette announcing that under the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA),…

|News 17/5/2016

Between Sky and Sea

In recent days, observers have been as captivated by life at sea as in the air! Great whales do not…

|Observation of the Week 13/5/2016

First trip out to sea

How great it feels to be on the water again! A new season begins... Back to the majestic St. Lawrence,…

|Field Notes 12/5/2016

Mortalities in the Estuary

A Beluga Carcass in Bas-Saint-Laurent Every year, the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network handles between 15 and 20 cases of…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 12/5/2016

When “family friends” come to see us

As migratory species, whales take advantage of the rich St. Lawrence waters in the summer to feed. Every summer, they enter…

|Observation of the Week 6/5/2016

Baleen Whale Migration Revisited

According to literature, most Mysticeti whales – also known as baleen whales – undertake seasonal migrations between high and low…

|News 6/5/2016

Young Minke Whale Beached in Québec City Region

The story has already generated its share of headlines: a whale, more specifically a minke whale, was found dead on…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 4/5/2016

Large Rorquals Here and There

After an abundance of reportings last week, observers have become quieter of late! Exceptions include a cruise in the Gaspé…

|Observation of the Week 29/4/2016

Show me your teeth and I’ll tell you who you are

Since early April, Marine Mammal Emergencies has handled three cases involving seal carcasses: two in Sept-Îles and one in Sainte-Anne-des-Monts. There…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 29/4/2016

Seismic Surveys Could Drive Right Whale to Extinction

In a letter to President Obama on April 14, 2016, twenty-seven scientists present their concerns about the impacts of seismic…

|News 28/4/2016

When Sharing a Meal Keeps a Family Together

Although a killer whale can easily swallow a whole salmon, it prefers to tear it into pieces to share with…

|News 22/4/2016

Influx of Good News

For the first time in several months, a considerable number of News from Afield observers have observations to report. First,…

|Observation of the Week 21/4/2016

When is the Best Time to Observe Whales in the St. Lawrence?

This is a very difficult question to answer! The "best time" to see cetaceans in the Estuary and Gulf of St.…

|Whale Q&A 19/4/2016

Could Climate Change Benefit Some Cetaceans?

According to an article published on April 5, 2016 in National Geographic, some whales, especially humpback and bowhead whales, could…

|News 15/4/2016

Concert of Sea Canaries

Observations of small groups of belugas have been reported here and there since the beginning of March, but this week,…

|Observation of the Week 13/4/2016

First “Marine Mammal Emergencies” Cases of the Season

Activity at the Call Centre 1-877-7baleine changes with the seasons; April and May are the months when we receive reports…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 12/4/2016

“Here We Go Again!”

We had been waiting for this announcement for some time, namely the first irrefutable signs of spring. On the morning…

|Observation of the Week 8/4/2016

Why do whales have fins?

Whales generally have four fins: two pectoral fins (instead of arms), a caudal fin (also called the tail) and a…

|Whale Q&A 8/4/2016

New Investments in the St. Lawrence: Opportunity to Reconcile Conservation and Development?

New investments recently announced by the Canadian and Quebec governments in port areas and the marine ecosystem of the St.…

|News 8/4/2016

Marine Mammal Emergencies Reiterates the Importance of Reporting Dead or Vulnerable Marine Mammals

[caption id="attachment_18443" align="alignright" width="250"] © Marie-Frédérique Robitaille[/caption] The arrival of spring is synonymous with the return of marine mammals that…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 4/4/2016

How do Boats Avoid Whales?

Collisions between ships and cetaceans are rather frequent and are a recognized cause of cetacean mortality in the world, despite…

|Whale Q&A 1/4/2016

“Hunting and Fishing” Season

"The view is endless!" reports one observer in the Gaspé region, already getting the whale-watching boats ready for the upcoming…

|Observation of the Week 31/3/2016

Energy East Project: Another Threat to the Whales of the St. Lawrence

The testimony of Émilien Pelletier before Quebec's environmental assessment agency (BAPE) last week cast a dark cloud over the whales…

|News 22/3/2016

Marine Mammal Emergencies Gears Up for Another Season

[caption id="attachment_18286" align="alignright" width="184"] © Fabienne Michot[/caption] After two months of complete silence in the 1-877-7baleine call centre, a case…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 19/3/2016

First Whales Observed in the Estuary

It was with contagious enthusiasm that a boat captain from Les Escoumins phoned the Whales Online team: "I could have…

|Observation of the Week 17/3/2016

Blue Whales of Antarctica: Three Populations of Giants

The Antarctic blue whale, which is endangered, falls into three genetically distinct populations. This was the conclusion of a recent…

|News 16/3/2016

Smarter seafood to extend to 40 species

Smarter Seafood recently unveiled the list of 41 marine species harvested using sustainable practices that are recommended for consumption for…

|News 10/3/2016

How can whales sleep in the water without drowning?

Like humans, whales are mammals. They therefore have lungs and breath air at the surface. They are unable to extract…

|Whale Q&A 8/3/2016

Relentless Passion… Even in Winter!

Though ice is increasingly present in the St. Lawrence and Gaspé Bay is partially frozen, other sectors remain ice-free, making…

|Observation of the Week 3/3/2016

Toxins Detected in Alaska Marine Mammals

Toxins produced by certain algae are present in Alaska's food chain in concentrations high enough to be detected in many…

|News 1/3/2016

Why are whales important? Why should we protect them?

The Whales Online team asked these questions to researchers who dedicate their time and energy studying the whales of the…

|Whale Q&A 29/2/2016

Observations Reduced to a Trickle

Don't be surprised: February is a quiet period in terms of the presence of whales in the St. Lawrence. Nevertheless,…

|Observation of the Week 26/2/2016

Animo Meets Up with St. Lawrence Belugas

On February 27, the team from Explora's Animo series takes you on board the Bleuvet to discover, together with the…

|News 26/2/2016

Accumulation of Heavy Metals in a Group of Stranded Long-finned Pilot Whales in Scotland

A study by researchers at the University of Aberdeen, in collaboration with the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme, recently demonstrated…

|News 24/2/2016
béluga

24 St.Lawrence belugas have been adopted!

In late 2014, the Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals (GREMM) and its colleagues from the St. Lawrence Beluga…

|News 23/2/2016

Rare Cuvier’s Beaked Whale Found Dead in Nova Scotia

On February 7, Nova Scotia's Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network, the Marine Animal Response Society (MARS), received a report of…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 17/2/2016

North American Right Whale on Semaine verte Now Online

On February 13, Radio-Canada's Semaine verte presented a chronicle of the fragile North Atlantic right whale, victim of intensive hunting that…

|News 15/2/2016

Noisy Seals and Low-Profile Whales

"We could hear their bellowing from our porch," says a Franquelin-based collaborator of News from Afield, referring to the cries…

|Observation of the Week 10/2/2016

St. Lawrence Belugas Declining

DOSSIER UPDATED FEBRUARY 8, 2016  – In 2015, of the 14 carcasses found, four have been confirmed as newborns and…

|News 8/2/2016
© Richard Sears

Preserving Quiet Habitats… So That They Stay That Way

A number of conservation projects aim to protect critical habitats for marine mammal populations with one of the objectives being…

|News 6/2/2016

Are the Great Whales Capable of Crossing the Entire Ocean?

With their imposing size, baleen whales live on an entirely different scale. Their habitat ranges between warm waters where they…

|Whale Q&A 5/2/2016

Over Twenty Whales Die in North Sea in One Month

Since mid-January, 25 sperm whales have been found beached on the British, Dutch and German coasts. The reasons for these…

|News 3/2/2016
béluga drone vieux

As the Crow Flies: Drones as a Promising Research Tool

Drones offer researchers new means of obtaining data on wild animal populations. They help enlarge the field of view of…

|News 2/2/2016

Call of the Baby Beluga, The nature of things (CBC), January 28, 2016

A young beluga is stranded on the shores of the St. Lawrence... and it's alive! A team of scientists decides…

|News 1/2/2016

Breaching: energy-intensive but beneficial for diving

Myoglobin carries and stores oxygen in the muscles of vertebrates. It is particularly abundant in marine mammals and is believed…

|News 29/1/2016

Seals on the Ice: Cause for Concern?

Since the beginning of winter, Marine Mammal Emergencies has received reports of seals on the ice in the Gaspé region,…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 26/1/2016

Harp Seals Attracting Attention

They appear in the form of black bubbles at the water surface. Adult harp seals give the impression of wearing…

|Observation of the Week 22/1/2016

Do Whales have Language?

Strictly speaking, a language implies syntax in which word order determines meaning. Studies conducted on dolphins in captivity have shown…

|Whale Q&A 21/1/2016

A Little Spy to Track a Large Cetacean

Update – January 20, 2016: Return to Northern Waters and Media Coverage of the Project! According to the most recent…

|Observation of the Week 20/1/2016

Belugas on the Move
Update, January 19, 2016: Theories as to Why the Project was not as Successful as Expected

At the dawn of the beluga seasonal migration, one question remains: where will they winter? This question is at the…

|Field Notes 19/1/2016

Braving the Cold

L'Anse-Saint-Jean, Saguenay Fjord, with the wind chill it feels like -28°C… This temperature won't prevent ice fishing enthusiasts from kicking…

|Observation of the Week 15/1/2016

Do blue whales have any predators?

Measuring some twenty metres long and weighing around 100 tonnes, what predator "dares" to attack the largest animal on the…

|Whale Q&A 12/1/2016

Boat Speed Noise Responsible for Disturbance of Killer Whales

The speed of boats travelling in the vicinity of killer whales is believed to be the greatest factor affecting ambient…

|News 7/1/2016

Marine Mammal Emergencies Needs You!

Do you live near the St. Lawrence? Do you enjoy walking on its shores? Do you have a flexible schedule…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 5/1/2016

Film In the Heart of the Sea Hits Theatres December 11

For centuries, whales have sparked the imagination. This Friday, December 11, the film In the Heart of the Sea will…

|News 18/12/2015

Entangled Right Whale: an Extra Weight to Tow

Over 75% of North Atlantic right whales show injuries or scars caused by fishing gear. A study conducted by the…

|News 18/12/2015

Can whales be observed in the Caribbean?

Whale watching in the Caribbean is an increasingly popular activity. These warm waters are well known for large gatherings of…

|Whale Q&A 16/12/2015

Here we go again! Seals on the horizon…

On December 10, the Marine Mammal Emergencies Call Centre was contacted by a media source: it had received a report…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 14/12/2015

December 13-18, 2015: 21st Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals

This international gathering, organized by the Society for Marine Mammalogy, rallies researchers, students and professionals from around the globe to…

|News 13/12/2015

Sperm Whales Robbing Fishermen of Their Catch

Sablefish fishermen in the Gulf of Alaska face a major competitor to their operations: male sperm whales. The latter come…

|News 11/12/2015

Flashback…

..to late November. Our collaborator in Franquelin sees her first harp seal of the winter. In the following weeks, she…

|Observation of the Week 10/12/2015

Beyond Cap de Bon-Désir, fin whale Bp929…

[caption id="attachment_16956" align="alignright" width="150"] Rorqual commun non reconnu[/caption] On December 5, through my binoculars, I spot five fin whales, two…

|Field Notes 9/12/2015

Minke Whale Santafin at Cap de Bon-Désir…

Luck and patience. These are the two key words if ones hopes to enjoy interesting sightings of marine mammals from…

|Field Notes 7/12/2015

What do Belugas Teach Us about the St. Lawrence and about Ourselves? (8/8)

Beluga stories: this is the final episode of the transcript of the training lecture given by Robert Michaud at the…

|News 4/12/2015

Autumn Surprise

For nearly a month, the phone at the Call Centre 1-877-7baleine has been silent. Then, it's just before 5 pm…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 3/12/2015

Southern Right Whales Targeted by Gulls

The waters around Argentina's Valdes Peninsula are thebreeding and calving grounds for southern right whales (Eubalaena australis). These whales have…

|News 2/12/2015

Harbour Seal Gathering in Tadoussac

November 30, 2015: Tadoussac: I'm walking on the beach, from Tadoussac Bay to the dunes. At this time of year…

|Field Notes 2/12/2015
béluga

FIRST COLLECTIVE ADOPTION COMPLETED; DL0030 TO BE CALLED ATHÉNA

Almost a year to the day after the second wave of the Adopt a Beluga campaign was launched (in French), the first…

|News 1/12/2015

Biography of Frédéric Back

Author Hélène Jasmin recently compiled this biography (in French) about the famous filmmaker who passed away in 2013 and illustrious…

|News 30/11/2015
Sur la trace du béluga

BELUGAS ON THE MOVE VIDEO CLIP PRESENTING THE PROJECT: STUNNING FOOTAGE

At the dawn of the beluga seasonal migration, one question remains: where will they winter? This is the question that…

|News 25/11/2015
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

Belugas on the Move
Video Clip Presenting the Project: Stunning Footage

At the dawn of the beluga seasonal migration, one question remains: where will they winter? This is the question that…

|News 25/11/2015

A Rewarding Stroll

On the afternoon of November 18, a News from Afield collaborator and Gaspé Bay whale-watching employee in summers ends his…

|Observation of the Week 24/11/2015
bière béluga

A SECOND BEER FOR THE ADOPTION OF AL BY LES BIÈRES BÉLUGAS LTÉE

Anticipated announcement: the second in a series of three beers developed by the team from Les Bières Bélugas Ltée is…

|News 20/11/2015

Do whales use vocal cords to produce sound?

The structures responsible for sound production differ between toothed whales and baleen whales, but exactly how they work remains poorly…

|Whale Q&A 20/11/2015

What do Belugas Teach Us about the St. Lawrence and about Ourselves? (7/8)

Beluga stories: this is the seventh episode of the transcript of the training lecture given by Robert Michaud at the…

|News 19/11/2015

Right Whale Festival, November 21, 2015

Held in Jacksonville, Florida, this festive rendez-vous celebrates the impending return of North Atlantic right whales to the coastal waters…

|News 16/11/2015

New Information on Extremely Rare Omura’s Whales

Omura's whale (Balaenoptera omurai), formerly considered to be a "pygmy form" of the Bryde's whale, was recognized as a full…

|News 13/11/2015

Building Energy Reserves

Fin whales in the Gaspé and Côte-Nord regions, minke whales and harbour porpoises off Charlevoix and the Côte-Nord, belugas at…

|Observation of the Week 12/11/2015

At What Age do Belugas Begin to Feed on Fish?

A beluga mother typically nurses her offspring for 18 months. At that point, the calf's teeth are very small or…

|Whale Q&A 8/11/2015

Fin Whales in Sight

One might think that at the end of October, the St. Lawrence Estuary is deserted... well think again! Autumn sea…

|Observation of the Week 29/10/2015

Close of 2015 Season Off the Shores of Tadoussac

It's one of the last trips offshore for the 2015 season. There's a tinge of sadness, for sure, but it's…

|Field Notes 28/10/2015

What Attracts Grey Seals to the Estuary?

Recently they have been observed gathered in groups of over 50 individuals, hunting in the tide rips. In the fall,…

|Whale Q&A 27/10/2015

Baleen Whales Possess a Unique Intestinal Microbial Flora

Their intestinal flora has characteristics of that of both carnivorous mammals and ruminants. Bacteria similar to those that can degrade…

|Whale Q&A 26/10/2015

What do Belugas Teach Us about the St. Lawrence and about Ourselves? (6/8)

Beluga stories: this is the sixth episode of the transcript of the training lecture given by Robert Michaud at the…

|News 25/10/2015

Fall Temperatures and Breaching Minke Whale

A strong wind is blowing from the west-southwest today, Monday, October 19. Nevertheless, I have the pleasure of observing a…

|Field Notes 20/10/2015
© Renaud Pintiaux

US Navy to Limit its Military Activities for the Sake of Whale Conservation

An agreement has been signed between the US Navy and environmental groups to limit military activities that are harmful to…

|News 19/10/2015

“Moby Dick” at the Théâtre du Nouveau Monde beginning September 22, 2015

SPECTACULAR CHASE IN STORMY SEAS Dominic Champagne revolutionized the staging of great mythical tales with The Odyssey. Now he is…

|News 19/10/2015

With the Belugas: Week of September 21, 2015

Mission accomplished! It's the third and last week of the intensive biopsy program for St. Lawrence belugas. Our goal is…

|Field Notes 19/10/2015

Why so many questions?

The 1-877-7baleine call centre team frequently says that their work often resembles that of a detective! When a mammal is…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 15/10/2015

How Far Away Can Sperm Whales Detect Their Prey?

In order to be able to feed in waters over 1,500 m deep where light is absent, the sperm whale…

|Whale Q&A 14/10/2015

Ending the Season with a Bang

These are the last trips out to sea for tour operators of Gaspé Bay, and the whales are plentiful! On…

|Observation of the Week 13/10/2015

What do Belugas Teach Us about the St. Lawrence and about Ourselves? (5/8)

Beluga stories: this is the fifth episode of the transcript of the training lecture given by Robert Michaud at the…

|News 12/10/2015

A Gorgeous October Morning

The wind is blowing from the northwest. It's a sunny but chilly day. The beauty of the landscape is breathtaking:…

|Field Notes 9/10/2015

With the Belugas: Week of September 14, 2015

Biopsies Made Challenging by the Wind In this second week of the intensive beluga biopsy program, we have spent 16…

|Field Notes 9/10/2015

A Puff of Air that Betrays its Presence, but not its Species

A large column rises high into the air. "Fin whale or blue whale?" asks our Franquelin-based collaborator on the morning…

|Observation of the Week 6/10/2015

What are the causes of mortality of the whales being found on the coasts of Alaska and British Columbia in recent months?

Over thirty whales have been found dead off the coasts of Alaska and British Columbia in the past few months.…

|News 5/10/2015

October 13-15, 2015: Symposium on Impact of Human Disturbance on Arctic Marine Mammals

From October 13 to 15, 2015, NAMMCO (The North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission) is organizing a symposium on the effects…

|News 5/10/2015

How Far Back Does the Presence of Belugas in the St. Lawrence Go?

Some of the first records of belugas in the St. Lawrence River can be found in Jacques Cartier's travel logs…

|Whale Q&A 4/10/2015
béluga

The David Suzuki Foundation presents the Elections Challenge: 100 days to protect the beluga

“Is the protection of the 900 belugas of the St. Lawrence one of your hopes for the future? What if…

|News 2/10/2015
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

With the Belugas: Week of September 7, 2015

THE MYSTERY OF BAIE SAINTE-MARGUERITE This week, we take a closer look at the intensive beluga biopsy program spearheaded by…

|Field Notes 2/10/2015

Cap sur les baleines, Episode 4: Olivia Capeillere

Olivia Capeillere crossed the Atlantic to follow her passion for the titans that inhabit the St. Lawrence. As a naturalist…

|News 2/10/2015

Pregnancy Tests for Belugas

Update – September 30, 2015 The final day of the program was September 25. Weather conditions were favourable, which allowed…

|News 30/9/2015

What do Belugas Teach Us about the St. Lawrence and about Ourselves? (4/8)

Beluga stories: this is the fourth episode of the transcript of the training lecture given by Robert Michaud at the…

|News 29/9/2015

With the Belugas: Week of August 31, 2015

One, two, three...four newborns are surrounding us! In 18 hours with belugas this week, we conducted four censuses and encountered…

|Field Notes 28/9/2015

Observation Season Still Going Strong in the Gaspé…

One would think it's still summer with all the sightings reported from our collaborators in the Gaspé. Between the villages…

|Observation of the Week 28/9/2015

How Can Microscopic Algae Kill a 45-tonne Whale?

[caption id="attachment_14093" align="alignright" width="150"] © Pêches et Océans Canada M Starr[/caption] First and foremost, the many species of phytoplankton are…

|Whale Q&A 27/9/2015

Finding Symphonie in the Middle of the Estuary

I had a great outing in the Estuary on September 22 together with Katy and David, two members of the…

|Field Notes 25/9/2015

With the Belugas: Week of August 24, 2015

MOM, CAN YOU HEAR ME? This week, the team had 11 encounters in 22 hours with belugas. Two boats were…

|Field Notes 25/9/2015

The Fourth Season of the Large Rorqual Telemetric Monitoring Project in the Marine Park is Underway
September 23: What about their Prey?

DOSSIER UPDATED September 23: What do rorquals prey on? The fourth season of the large rorqual monitoring project ended in…

|News 23/9/2015

Beaked Whale Ancestors Hunted Mostly Near the Surface

The discovery of a fossil of a beaked whale (Messapicetus gragarius) dating back 9 million years reveals that this animal…

|News 23/9/2015

Another Behemoth Stranded in the Magdalen Islands

[caption id="attachment_13837" align="alignright" width="250"] © Léonard Chevarie[/caption] The North Atlantic right whale that washed up on the western dunes in…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 22/9/2015

“More whales than visitors”…

...emphasizes a Percé-based captain, referring to this recent week of observations. Île Bonaventure is surrounded by numerous marine mammals: hundreds…

|Observation of the Week 21/9/2015

Belugas “On the Run”
September 18, 2015: Fisheries and Oceans Canada reminds the public not to interact with the beluga

News: September 18, 2015: Fisheries and Oceans Canada reminds the public not to interact with the beluga We haven't heard…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 18/9/2015

What do Belugas Teach Us about the St. Lawrence and about Ourselves? (3/8)

Beluga stories: this is the third episode of the transcript of the training lecture given by Robert Michaud at the…

|News 18/9/2015

With the Belugas: Week of August 17, 2015

Good news for calves! In 14 hours with belugas, we conducted four censuses and a total of 10 calves were…

|Field Notes 18/9/2015

Surface Feeding Behaviour in Blue Whales

Sunday, September 13: as usual, I had to deal with the tide when putting my boat into the water and…

|Field Notes 18/9/2015

In the St. Lawrence: a Scene that Changes by the Hour

My expectations are low as I leave the Tadoussac wharf on the morning of September 9, a heavy blanket of…

|Field Notes 17/9/2015

The Leap Manifesto

The authors of the The Leap Manifesto chose a whale to illustrate their hopes and concerns for a more just…

|News 15/9/2015

With the Belugas: Week of August 10, 2015

YOGI SWIMS UP THE SAGUENAY ALONE This week, fog is prevalent. Our observations had to be cut short. Nevertheless, we…

|Field Notes 15/9/2015

What do Minke Whales do in the estuary of St. Lawrence?

The minke whale is a fast and agile predator, but as with any marine mammal, it must come to the…

|Whale Q&A 15/9/2015

A Ballet of Minke Whales, Gray Seals and Black-legged Kittiwakes

September 10: this morning, calm conditions seem to be reigning off the coast of Tadoussac. This is but an illusion.…

|Field Notes 14/9/2015

With the Belugas: Week of August 3

A BELUGA THAT SHOWS ITS TEETH Several hours at sea for Week 6 in the field! In total: 20 hours…

|Field Notes 11/9/2015

End of Summer at Marine Mammal Emergencies

As summer is winding down in the coastal areas of the St. Lawrence, one might think that the telephone at…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 10/9/2015

Cap sur les baleines, Episode 3: Simon Gauthier

Professional storyteller Simon Gauthier pounds the pavement, his backpack chock full of tales, baleinophone in hand. The pioneer of whale…

|News 9/9/2015

Can whales experience the bends like divers do?

The bends are a type of decompression sickness associated primarily with divers using a compressed air tank. As the regulator…

|Whale Q&A 9/9/2015

No Two Weeks or Observations are Alike…

A dynamic environment It is a well known fact that whales come to the St. Lawrence to feed. Forget the…

|Observation of the Week 7/9/2015

Porpoises: Shy Whales? Not in the Least… by Marie-Pier Poulin

Not this week at least! On several cruises, observers old and young smiled as they discovered harbour porpoises, those small,…

|Field Notes 4/9/2015
Catalogue grands rorquals

New Version of Large Rorqual Catalogue Released!

The Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals (GREMM) and Parks Canada, along with their financial partners Fondation de…

|News 3/9/2015

Minke Whales Draw my Attention… by Catherine Chassé

After a morning working in the lab, I finally head offshore in the afternoon to join the whales. Earlier that…

|Field Notes 3/9/2015

Piper’s Adventure Caught on Camera

A little more than two months have passed since the discovery of Piper's carcass off Percé, a North Atlantic right…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 2/9/2015

Cap sur les baleines, Episode 2: Marie Guilpin

Marie Guilpin crossed the Atlantic to study the whales of the St. Lawrence. As a Ph.D. student in oceanography in…

|News 2/9/2015

Focus on the Gulf

Starting with the Cloridorme region in the Gaspé where "almost 40 blue whales are present," according to Richard Sears, director…

|Observation of the Week 31/8/2015

Do Tides Have an Influence on Whales?

Tides – generally two high and two low per day – generate and influence ocean currents. In turn, these currents…

|Whale Q&A 31/8/2015

First Encounter with the Largest Animal on the Planet… Marie-Pier Poulin

I had heard that the St. Lawrence is one of the few places where one can observe blue whales, even…

|Field Notes 29/8/2015

Undeterred by the Weather… by Catherine Chassé

Waves, fog and wind await me off of Tadoussac. Even before boarding the zodiac, I know that today will not…

|Field Notes 29/8/2015

Who are these gannets that are hunting among the whales?

These large seabirds, the largest in the North Atlantic with wingspans of up to two metres, owe their scientific name…

|Observation of the Week 28/8/2015

The Great Feast off Tadoussac

The river is calm. The Sun is shining brightly above our heads. A storm looms in the distance, coming from…

|Field Notes 28/8/2015

Which Cultures Still Practise Traditional Whaling?

The International Whaling Commission (IWC) authorizes and regulates so-called aboriginal "subsistence" whaling. It is practised today in Greenland (Denmark), Siberia…

|Whale Q&A 24/8/2015

A 12th Beluga Carcass Found in 2015

12th Beluga Carcass Discovered On August 18, observers stationed on the rocks of the Marine Environment Discovery Centre (MEDC) in…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 21/8/2015

Straight Out of a Dream

Photos: © René Roy I just woke up from a dream ... A dream in which I was at a…

|Field Notes 21/8/2015

Increasingly Tuned to Whales, Whales Online Presents its New Colours in French and English

For its 15th anniversary, the reference site on whales of the St. Lawrence has been completely revamped. With a broader network…

|News 20/8/2015

Cap sur les baleines, Episode 1: Hugues Durocher

Hugues Durocher was literally born on the river. The son of a lighthouse keeper, his life has evolved with the…

|News 20/8/2015

From Tadoussac to Les Escoumins, Another Magical Day…

How can we forget that we live in one of the most beautiful places in the world when, on this…

|Field Notes 20/8/2015

What Conclusions Can be Drawn from the North Atlantic Right Whale Observations and Mortalities during the 2015 season?

A response from Véronique Lesage, Fisheries and Oceans Canada First, a little bit of background... North Atlantic right whales were…

|News 20/8/2015

Sailing expedition in Search of Right Whales in the Gaspé

A number of observations of right whales have been reported throughout the summer at various locations in the Gulf of…

|News 18/8/2015

Northern gannets steal the show from whales in Tadoussac

In recent days, gannet observations almost overshadow those of whales, at least as far as I'm concerned! They number in…

|Field Notes 18/8/2015

Observers Delighted…

To observe almost a hundred belugas in Les Escoumins; nearly a dozen blue whales in the Gaspé, including B105, which…

|Observation of the Week 17/8/2015

What are Mass Strandings and What Causes Them?

A beached animal might be sick, exhausted, injured or disoriented. If it is a young individual, it may be due…

|Whale Q&A 17/8/2015

“Sea Wolves” of the St. Lawrence

In French, seals are sometimes referred to by the old term "loups marins", or sea wolves, which in some regions…

|Observation of the Week 14/8/2015

A Disturbing Beluga Carcass

Residents of the town of Chandler promptly called 1-877-7baleine on the afternoon of August 13 when a beluga carcass was…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 14/8/2015

Two North Atlantic Right Whale carcasses in the Gulf of St. Lawrence; One Washes Ashore

After the right whale found dead off the coast of Percé this past June 24, two more carcasses of the…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 11/8/2015

Sperm Whale on Display at Musée de la Mer, Magdalen Islands

Its 15 m long skeleton is the star of an exhibit entitled "Souffleur à grosse tête, qui es-tu?" (loosely translated, "Big-headed…

|News 11/8/2015

Pair of Blue Giants

Researcher Anik Boileau, director of the Centre d’Éducation et de Recherche de Sept-îles (CERSI), based in Sept-Îles, observed a pair…

|Observation of the Week 11/8/2015

Right Whales Seen from the Sky

During an aerial survey on August 7, a team from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) spots over twenty…

|Observation of the Week 11/8/2015

Whales and Dolphins in Aquariums: A Heated Debate

This sensitive topic has been subject of heated debate for decades. The opening of Marine Land Studio in Florida in…

|Whale Q&A 10/8/2015
De l'eau s'échappe de la bouche gonflée d'un petit rorqual

How Do the Ventral Grooves of Rorquals Function?

The word “rorqual” comes from the Norwegian rorkval, which means “tubed” or “furrow-bellied” whale. The name refers to the folds…

|Whale Q&A 6/8/2015

The F.G. Creed Crew is Back in the Estuary in Search of Whales’ Prey

Fisheries and Oceans Canada's ship F.G. Creed is in the Estuary this week for its eighth annual acoustic survey aimed…

|News 4/8/2015

With the Belugas: Week of July 27

BELUGAS AND WAVES! It's been a tough week for working out at sea. However, we have completed three surveys and…

|Field Notes 3/8/2015

Looking for whales with our ears

At Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan, some thirty fin whales are present, both "known" faces and newcomers. Are they easy to spot? More or…

|Observation of the Week 31/7/2015

Three Beluga Carcasses Added to Year’s Tally

Prior to the two incidents reported last July 25, six belugas had been found dead since the beginning of the…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 30/7/2015

Which Cetacean Species are Extinct?

At the present time, there are very few extinct whales, although some – described later in this article – have…

|Whale Q&A 27/7/2015

With the Belugas: Week of July 20, 2015

We are in the 4th week of field work for the St. Lawrence beluga behavioural study. We have gone out…

|Field Notes 26/7/2015

Large Gatherings

Large herds of gray seals off Tadoussac are attracting increasing attention. Even if only their heads stick out above the…

|Observation of the Week 23/7/2015

A Whiskery Creature in La Baie

July 20, 2015: Long whiskers appear on the water surface; a bearded seal startles a photographer at the marina in…

|Observation of the Week 22/7/2015

With the Belugas: Week of July 13

RESEARCHERS' TIPS TO RECOGNIZE THEM In the course of three days at sea, as part of our behavioural study project…

|Field Notes 19/7/2015

Renewed Activity

"Might things be picking up in the region?" enquires one of the Mingan Island Cetacean Study (MICS) team members after…

|Observation of the Week 17/7/2015

What do Belugas Teach Us about the St. Lawrence and about Ourselves? (2/8)

Beluga stories: this is the second episode of the transcript of the training lecture given by Robert Michaud at the…

|News 16/7/2015

How Does Digestion Take Place in Whales?

The digestive systems of whales consists of an esophagus, a compartmentalized stomach (similar to that of ruminants like cows or…

|Whale Q&A 15/7/2015

Getting to Know the Herring of the St. Lawrence Upper Estuary, a Beluga Prey

This project, which began last year, focuses in particular on the spawning grounds of this small silver fish. Herring migrate…

|News 14/7/2015

With the Belugas: Week of July 6

Our second week in the field for the beluga behavioural study was spread over three non-consecutive days (July 6, 9…

|Field Notes 12/7/2015

New Cacouna Port Project in the Beluga Nursery: Concerns and Astonishment

While the oil port project was abandoned six months ago due to the fact that the beluga population was assessed…

|News 11/7/2015

North Atlantic Right Whale Observed near Île Rouge

On the afternoon of Friday, July 10, the GREMM team aboard the Bleuvet, while tracking belugas offshore, had a surprising…

|Observation of the Week 10/7/2015

Gaspé Mission: Happy Encounters and a Sad Discovery

Almost five days on the water and some 250 nautical miles covered in the Gaspé-Percé sector from June 30 to…

|Field Notes 10/7/2015

Four Killer Whales in the Lower North Shore, One Possibly Identified

Photos taken between La Tabatière and Gros-Mécatina in the Basse-Côte-Nord region (in the Gulf of St. Lawrence near Newfoundland) confirm…

|Observation of the Week 10/7/2015

Familiar Faces in Gaspésie

A black "iris" shape on the right lobe and a white "seven" in the centre of the tail; cat eyes…

|Observation of the Week 9/7/2015

On the Lookout for a Beluga

Early this morning, at 8:30, a collaborator from the Canadian Coast Guard reports a beluga carcass that a friend spotted…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 9/7/2015

What do Belugas Teach Us about the St. Lawrence and about Ourselves? (1/8)

Beluga Stories: a presentation by Robert Michaud at the CIMM on June 22, 2015, presented here in eight episodes to…

|News 7/7/2015

Large Rorquals Adrift…

In the Gaspé "It was so big...even from miles away, I thought it was an island!" These are the words…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 6/7/2015

With the Belugas: Week of June 29

The field season for the St. Lawrence beluga behavioural study is under way. The first week consisted of three days…

|Field Notes 6/7/2015

Calculations that Could Help Save Whales Entangled in Fishing Gear

According to a recent study, researchers examined whale skeletons and carcasses of all sizes to obtain measurements of their body…

|News 3/7/2015

Survivor of the Estuary

The last time "Le Survivant" was seen was on November 23, 2014, off the coast of Cap de Bon-Désir in…

|Observation of the Week 4/5/2015

First Beluga Carcass for 2015

It's the low season for the call centre of the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network; a single case has…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 4/5/2015

“The Most Solitary of Whales”: Mysterious No. 52 Raises Questions, Inspires, Sparks New Scientific Commentary

This whale frequents the North Pacific and emits a range of unusual frequencies which are believed to isolate it from…

|News 28/4/2015

Of Whales, the Moon and Men

The "fishermen" positioned nearly 3500 saplings in four days, though they purposely neglected to "set the trap" by making sure…

|Observation of the Week 22/4/2015

From the St. Lawrence Estuary to the north Atlantic: the odyssey of the blue whale Symphony

For more than five months, researchers have been tracking the migration of this female thanks to a signal emitted by…

|News 17/4/2015

Dead or Struggling Marine Mammals: 1-877-7baleine

With the arrival of spring, the once frozen shores of the St. Lawrence begin to open up, exposing carcasses of…

|Marine Mammal Emergencies 16/4/2015

How Long have Sperm Whales been Hunted?

Are sperm whales still hunted? No, not commercially. Nevertheless, a traditional hunt is still practised by residents of the Indonesian…

|Whale Q&A 15/4/2015

Belugas Return to the Estuary

"Almost in real time", emphasizes Robert Michaud as he calls the Whales On Line team on April 8. Indeed, barely…

|Observation of the Week 9/4/2015

Collision between Inflatable Boat and Whale in Mexico: One Canadian Tourist Dead and Two Persons Injured

The accident, which occurred in an area known to be frequented by a large number of tourist boats and by…

|News 30/3/2015
Un pénis de rorqual bleu séché de plus de 2 m.

How much sperm does a blue whale ejaculate?

Surprised by some of the extreme statistics in the physiology of the blue whale, an Internet user asked us this…

|Whale Q&A 24/3/2015

On the Calendar: MICS Organizes Blue Whale Fundraiser Event

The Mingan Island Cetacean Study (MICS) will organize the first edition of the Grand Blue fundraiser on March 16, 2015…

|News 6/2/2015
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

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…

|Field Notes 5/10/2014
Béluga du Saint-Laurent

Are the Belugas of the North Threatened?

In an interview with Véronique Lesage and Thomas Doniol-Valcroze, researchers at the Maurice Lamontagne Institute (Fisheries and Oceans Canada), Whales…

|Whale Q&A 23/2/2014