Tingley

Once again, Tingley has managed to capture the attention of marine mammal enthusiasts with its colorful arrival in the estuary. On September 14, under the soft afternoon light, a few lucky people were able to witness repeated acrobatics in the middle of the St. Lawrence River: several humpback whales were leaping out of the water and Tingley (H277) was slapping her pectoral fin on the surface! However, H277 was not alone. A small whale was at her side, also performing aerial acrobatics. The pair of humpback whales was seen on a few other occasions, swimming and enjoying the vast feeding ground that is the St. Lawrence River. Could this small individual with a grayish tail that regularly accompanies Tingley be her sixth calf? Further observations of their behavior and interactions will help us confirm that this is indeed her offspring.

A regular visitor to the Mingan area, Tingley visited the estuary for the first time in 2017, accompanied by her fifth calf. This year marks her third visit to the area since she was first observed by the Mingan Island Cetacean Study (MICS) in 1991. Welcome back to the region, Tingley!

The arrival of a female humpback accompanied by a first-year calf intrigued captains and naturalists: after doing a little homework, they conclude that it is Tingley, or H277! Although a regular in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Tingley is believed to be making her first visit to the Estuary, according to Christian Ramp of the Mingan Island Cetacean Study (MICS). Faithful to the Mingan sector in particular, H277 has been confirmed in the region every year since 1991, except in 1993 and 1995.

Although no biopsy was performed to confirm whether or not the calf swimming alongside H277 is her own, certain clues cannot be overlooked: in June, Tingley had been seen in the Gaspé Peninsula with a little one, and the pair was seen again in late August, this time in Minganie. This is H277’s fifth known calf. In addition to this newcomer, Tingley has given birth to the following individuals (in chronological order): H687, a female named Piranha, born in 2003; H691, a male nicknamed Batroom, born in 2007; an animal of unknown sex without an ID number, born in 2010; and H831, a whale of unknown sex named Soluvia, born in 2015.

Tingley and Tic Tac Toe – seen here in June with her young – are not the only mothers this year among the humpbacks featured in the MICS catalogue: another mother-calf duo recently made a notable incursion into the Marine Park: H753, a.k.a. Bad Chemistry! A little aside to explain the comical origin of her name: the dark lines at the bottom of the left lobe of her tail recall a melted Erlenmeyer flask (glass container used in labs), and, just above that, one can almost make out a puff of smoke… the whole think evokes a science experiment gone wrong!

In early June, H753 was spotted in Gaspé Bay with a calf close by her side. On June 5, researchers from MICS and the Sea Mammal Research Unit fitted the mother with a suction-cup tag to better understand her diving behaviour. During tracking, they were able to admire the pair surface feeding.

The visits of Bad Chemistry and Tingley with their respective calves are testimony that the season can still hold surprises. Observers, keep your eyes peeled!

Special thanks to the MICS team for the invaluable information on Tingley and Bad Chemistry.