Le Survivant
Beluga
Adopted by the region of Sorel-Tracy
-
ID number
DL0082
-
Sex
Male
-
Year of birth
Before 1964
-
Known Since
1980
Distinctive traits
Small, closely-spaced scars on his right flank are the Survivor’s signature. He can also be identified solely by his dorsal crest, so numerous and varied are the cuts.
Life history
Le Survivant was first photographed in 1980. He was already all white, so he would have been born before 1964.
Le Survivant’s sex was confirmed by biopsy: he is male. A piece of skin taken from his back enabled us to carry out a genetic analysis. He is part of one of the two male networks in the Saguenay.
This male is well known to the GREMM team, having been observed every year since 1986 until 2019, except in 2011, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. During our first encounters with this individual, we could observe him in the company of the same companions: Laurent, Galubé, Twik, Cumulus and Alpha, in groups of around forty individuals. In recent years, however, we have seen him alone or in small groups, in the company of different individuals, as many of his former companions have disappeared.
Observations history in the Estuary
Years in which the animal was not observed Years in which the animal was observed
Latest news
By Renaud Pintiaux
The offshore season is over, but not all marine mammals have left the region! Over the past few days, I’ve been scouring the shores between Tadoussac and Les Escoumins. And every day, I spot one or two minke whales, especially from the rocks at Cap-de-Bon-Désir. On November 18, from the dunes of Tadoussac, I even observed four minke whales with binoculars, in a restricted area far offshore.
Again, several groups of beluga whales observed in recent days : adults and calves in the mouth of the Saguenay and a few large white adults near Les Escoumins. On November 14, in a group of adults near Cap-de-Bon-Désir, I spotted and photographed an individual well known to researchers at the Groupe de Recherche et d’Éducation sur les Mammifères Marins : Le Survivant! Known since… 1980! Last year, I photographed this beluga at exactly the same spot on November 28!
A member of the Offshore News observer network is on the promontory of Cap de Bon-Désir in Les Bergeronnes. He takes a photo of a beluga whale swimming alone. After examining the photos, he recognizes Le Survivant. Having worked for many years aboard GREMM’s research vessel, Le Bleuvet, tracking these belugas in their environment, he was able to easily identify this individual with its highly distinctive markings.
Sponsor
The region of Sorel-Tracy adopted Le Survivant (1990).