Magazine
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…
Encounter with Pilot Whales
Do pilot whales impatiently look forward to spring just to cross paths with amateur cetologist René Roy? One thing is…
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…
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…
Minke whale updates
This page is dedicated to the presence of two minke whales in the waters of Montreal. It is updated several…
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…
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.…
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.…
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…
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.…
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…
Winter Doldrums
No backs, no spouts, not even the shadow of a tail. Zero, zip, zilch. “No whales this week,” a number…
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…
Colorful Bubbling at Sea
Friday morning, from the top of the dunes in Tadoussac, an avid birder spots some splashing in the middle of…
Singing seals
“It’s been a quiet week for whales,” admits a resident of Percé, “but grey seals have been abundant. From our…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
“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…
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…
Creatures of Habit
Wednesday morning, just as the team from the Marine Mammal Interpretation Centre (CIMM) begins its workday, time stands still for…
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…
Dinner is served!
“The capelin are rolling like crazy here in the Gaspé,” says one observer. “At least ten humpbacks have been tallied…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Do whales fart?
Judging by the search engines, the question has created quite a buzz: are whales capable of emitting flatulence, gas... in…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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…
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…
Do whales produce saliva?
As we know, whales are big eaters and can detect their prey from afar, some species thanks to their sense…
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…
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…
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…
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”,…
They’re still here!
As Quebec slowly gets deeper into autumn, foliage reaches its peak and the wind gusts and rain grow more intense,…
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…
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,…
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…
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,…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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!…
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…
“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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…