Corsaire

Beluga

ligne décoration

Adopted by GEO Magazine Readers

  • ID number

    DL0109

  • Sex

    Female

  • Year of birth

    Before 1974

  • Known Since

    1986

Distinctive traits

The notch in the center of its dorsal crest is a good way to recognize it, but what distinguishes Corsaire from the others is the large, irregular, deep scar on its left flank.

Life history

When we first met her in 1986, Corsaire was already all white. She was therefore born before 1974.

Her small size, habits and social affiliations clearly indicate that Corsaire is a female. In the early 1990s, a biopsy taken from her back confirmed this. Corsaire is regularly observed at the mouth of the Saguenay and near Île Verte. She is a member of the south shore female community.

Corsaire has been missing for 10 years. Has she died? Has she moved to another area? Did she remain invisible to the eye of the researcher? Then, in 2011, she reappeared and is particularly frequenting the area from the mouth of the Saguenay to Les Escoumins and the south shore, although in the first encounters she was seen more in the Kamouraska area.

Observations history in the Estuary

1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020

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

Latest news

Early in the morning, we set out to patrol the Ile Verte area, near the south shore of the St. Lawrence. Arriving off the island, we came across a herd of a dozen belugas, made up of adults and calves. We also noticed a newborn calf, flanked by a dirty-white female, still young. The animals could be feeding, as their movements are uncoordinated, going in all directions. Not far from the herd, we also see a minke whale and a few seals : there’s food around!

As we approach a beluga whale to take a biopsy, we realize it’s missing a piece of its tail! Surprised, we missed the biopsy : the dart landed almost a metre away. Back in the lab, when we analyzed the photos, we realized that the beluga whale whose tail was missing was Corsaire, a female known since 1986! We hadn’t seen her since 2014. What happened to her tail? We’ll probably never know (but we like the idea of a hungry mermaid)

The boat heads for Île aux Pommes, off Trois-Pistoles. We observe Corsaire in a herd of some forty individuals. At the head of the herd, Corsaire swims in the company of some twenty females, who are soon joined by a group of about twenty males. The belugas move in all directions. After observing and noting the details of the scene, we move away from the group.

On September 23, 2011, we headed for the Île Verte area. We spot a group of seven belugas made up of adults, including Corsaire, calves and a calf. Through our group, we see two minke whales and several gray seals. It seems that the water beneath our feet is teeming with prey! Some females, like Corsaire, are becoming real “pros” of their territory, well aware of the resources that can effectively provide for them and their newborn calf.

Sponsor

GEO Magazine Readers adopted Corsaire (1994).