Al

The summer of 2016 – our 32nd season at sea with the belugas – was once again rich in encounters and surprises. Observations include sightings of Al on at least two occasions.

September 24, 2016: We’re off the coast of Cap de Bon-Desir, near the north shore of the Estuary. Around us, there are belugas everywhere! There are at least 180 individuals, including adults and a few grays, and among them we identify Al.

These large but short-lived gatherings consist essentially of males. They’re often observed in this area, i.e. the downstream sector of the summer range, between Tadoussac and Les Escoumins.

The affinity of male herds (such as those frequented by Al) for this place might be attributable to the types of prey found there. It is a deep underwater valley: the Laurentian Channel. Its rugged topography and regular upwelling (rising cold water) make it a very special area conducive to high concentrations of prey.

Off of Île Rouge, at the mouth of the Saguenay Fjord, we spot a herd of between 100 and 110 individuals. The herd is made up of mostly adults, possibly all males. Amongst them, we spot AL. We attempt a biopsy, but unfortunately the arrow passes just over his dorsal crest. It’s no easy feat, taking aim at a moving target from a platform that is also moving. We’ll have to wait for another chance to get this little piece of skin and fat that will confirm whether our suspicions as to AL’s sex are correct, in addition to perhaps revealing other secrets. In the course of this encounter, we did however manage to perform three biopsies on other belugas. A successful day!

We observe AL off the coast of L’Isle-Verte on the south shore of the St. Lawrence. He is swimming in a herd of 70 belugas. Within the herd, we notice a few entirely white individuals, but 70% of them are gray or slightly gray. It is therefore a herd of adults, but mostly composed of young adults. The belugas split into a few smaller groups of about a dozen individuals and slowly work their way up the river. The encounter with this herd ends with a successful biopsy.

We were working in Sainte-Marguerite Bay. One group of 10 animals appeared to be essentially composed of large males, while another group of seven beluga whales was made up of juveniles: what we commonly refer to as “ados”. We performed a biopsy on one of the beluga whales in AL’s group. Around 10:00 a.m. the animals became quite active and began behaving in a manner typical for this particular bay: tails and heads started popping up above the surface. We managed a second biopsy on a second individual. We left the group of 30 individuals late in the morning.

AL is spotted in the Saguenay Fjord in a herd of about 20 individuals. He is swimming in a group of young belugas that we’ve nicknamed the “teenagers”. They are highly dynamic. One of these individuals, as soon as it comes up for air, greets us with vocalizations that can be heard at the surface. All of this excitement is difficult to make sense of. Until we can unlock the life mysteries of belugas, we place these behaviours in the broad category of “social activities”.

September 21, 2012: We are on board the Bleuvet, off the coast of Trois-Pistoles. Around us is a herd of about fifty belugas, all white adults. Among them is Al, who is swimming with Splash. Not far from us is also a herd of about fifteen gray seals, in the middle of which suddenly appears a minke whale. The presence of so many animals suggests that there is a large concentration of fish below us.

The belugas are swimming in single file and moving upstream. We take this opportunity to perform a biopsy on one beluga that shows a gray spot.

Sometimes it seems that belugas simply want to make our day and gather in groups of “celebrities”. That’s precisely what happened to us that day. No sooner do we leave the Tadoussac marina aboard the  Bleuvet (our research boat), when we cross paths with a herd of about fifty belugas calmly moving toward the south shore. The herd consists of adults and juveniles as well as one calf, i.e. a beluga born earlier in the year.

We position our boat at the tail end of the herd to observe belugas that are smaller in size. Since they are white, we know they are all adults, but they could be females. We photograph the animals and manage to recognize a nice collection of stars from our family album: AlbioriX, Frimas, DL014, Nics, Miss Frontenac, Or Blanc, Al, Elle and DL173. When Al dives, he resurfaces 200-300 metres away, followed by other belugas. These repetitive, equally-spaced dives are a behaviour that we witness frequently in the mouth of the fjord. It was a constructive encounter that will help us add pages to our album.