Biscuit

Beluga

ligne décoration

Adopted by École de langue française de Trois-Pistoles

  • ID number

    DL0057

  • Sex

    Unknown

  • Year of birth

    Before 1973

  • Known Since

    1987

Distinctive traits

Biscuit is known only from the left flank. The large, deep and intricate peduncle scar distinguishes this individual from the others.

Life history

When we first met Biscuit in 1987, this beluga was slightly gray. From 1993 onwards, though this individual was always noted as white, meaning the date of birth for this beluga would have been around 1973.

For the moment, based on Biscuit’s associations and habits, we can’t confirm this individual’s sex or summer range. Adult belugas are highly sex-segregated in summer. Males and females show clearly marked preferences, both in their associations and in the areas they frequent. In juveniles and young adults, this behavior is not as marked.

On a few occasions, the team heard Biscuit’s “voice”. Along with the other belugas present, this individual vocalized at the surface, sticking its head and tail out of the water. Whistling, snapping, squeaking and growling, the beluga’s vocal repertoire is very extensive, hence its nickname “the canary of the seas”. This repertoire may be an adaptation to life near the ice, where ambient noise is omnipresent.

Regularly seen with..

Observations history in the Estuary

1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994

Years in which the animal was not observed Years in which the animal was observed

Latest news

September 9, 1994 was the last recorded contact with Biscuit. What happened to him? Did he die? Did he remain invisible to researchers for all that time? One thing’s for sure, his story remains a valuable source of information for our knowledge of this fragile population.

Sponsor

École de langue française de Trois-Pistoles adopted Biscuit (1990).