Albert

When we first met him in 1990, Albert was completely white. He was therefore born before 1978.

Albert is usually seen in and around the mouth of the Saguenay, and is part of one of two networks of males that frequent this area.

In the early 2000s, Albert was part of one of our team’s best-known groups of St. Lawrence belugas. We call it “La bande du Saguenay”. There are two networks of males that frequent the Saguenay fjord, its mouth and part of the estuary as far as Les Escoumins. Within these networks, males form stable bands of mates. These associations build up gradually and may play a role in the belugas’ reproductive life.

The Saguenay pod is peculiar for several reasons. It is made up of adult individuals, all presumed to be male and well identified. Some of these belugas have been observed for some twenty years. In the past, this group seemed to be the most stable of all known groups, in terms of membership composition and sites frequented. At present, however, several members of this group have disappeared or been found dead. Continued research should enable us to answer some of these questions, to better understand and protect this endangered population.