Douxi

Beluga

ligne décoration

Adopted by Montreal 2005 — XI World Aquatics Championship

  • ID number

    DL0703

  • Sex

    Male

  • Year of birth

    Around 1985

  • Known Since

    1993

Distinctive traits

The extensive, irregularly contoured scar on the left peduncle makes Douxi easily recognizable. On his right flank, still on the peduncle, is a gray patch and a series of small scars.

Life history

We first met Douxi in the summer of 1990. At the time, he was a juvenile beluga. He has always been noted as “white” since 2003. He was born around 1985.

A biopsy revealed that Douxi is male. He is regularly seen at the mouth of the Saguenay Fjord in large herds of males.

Our first encounter with Douxi was in 1993, when he was a young beluga. Young belugas don’t seem to favor one area more than another, or one group more than another. However, as adults, we observe sexual segregation in summer. Thus, the “lower” herds, more in the Lower Estuary, are composed mainly of males, while the “upper” herds, in the Upper Estuary, are composed mainly of females and juveniles. Both types of herd are found in the Saguenay.

Regularly seen with...

Observations history in the Estuary

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

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

Latest news

Douxi is part of a herd of around 30 belugas. He is located near Sainte-Marguerite Bay in the Saguenay Fjord. In this herd, there are a few groups of four to five belugas, but the majority of individuals are in groups of two : one white and one gray. There is a high percentage of gray calves and two newborns. One of the newborns swims alongside Vita, a large male who is part of one of the Saguenay’s two male networks. A large male can measure around 4 m, while a newborn will be around 1.5 m long. A light rain begins to fall, so we take a break to protect our cameras, but we continue to follow this herd, because as soon as the downpour ends, we’ll be back at work.

Sponsor

Montreal 2005 — XI World Aquatics Championship adopted Douxi (2004).