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 is blowing across the St. Lawrence. The stray young narwhal observed last summer in the St. Lawrence seems to have found a host society.

Photographs obtained by a GREMM research assistant yesterday in the mouth of the Saguenay on board the whale-watching boat Grand Fleuve confirmed the identity of the young narwhal. It is indeed the same individual as the one photographed last summer. The brief observation, however, was not enough to verify the identity of the belugas accompanying the vagrant. Are they the same companions as last year?

For GREMM researchers studying beluga social organization, the integration of an individual of another species into the belugas’ social groups raises exciting questions. Stay tuned for further updates!

By Robert Michaud