One year later, what can we learn from the humpback whale’s journey from Québec City to Montréal?

The Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network and its partners from here and around the planet elected not to attempt to frighten or move the animal for a number of reasons, including the whale’s own safety, but first and foremost because the whale had gotten here on its own and was not physically hindered from leaving on its own. In large mammals, forced displacements or relocations are rarely effective, and there is a high risk that they will quickly return to the same location. In this sense, the best chance of success is to minimize the risk of an incident during the animal’s stay and to let it leave when it is ready.

For the public, watching the whale brought much excitement, but was also a source of concern. Several individuals offered suggestions to the Network, some ideas that had already been considered by experts, others a bit more fanciful. These suggestions, all of which were based on a desire to come to the animal’s aid, demonstrate the importance of connecting the public to nature and whales so that they can understand the issues associated with the measures they are proposing. The idea of making a line of krill or fish all the way to Tadoussac is simply not an option or even possible (acclimation of the whale to humans, excessive quantity of fish or krill needed, whales’ ability to go long periods without eating, aquatic environment unconducive to creating a “line” of food, etc.). Erecting a fence in a natural environment is not advisable either, in addition to being problematic for all other species as well as navigation. Considering the size of the whale, it was not possible to use a helicopter to transport it. Nor is towing the whale by boat a good idea, given the risks for the animal. What could have been done – though not without risk – would have been to track the whale using a suction cup tag, which could have somewhat further reduced, but not completely eliminated, the chances of collision. A number of other suggestions were offered to QMMERN coordinator Robert Michaud in this discussion moderated by Montréal’s Cœur des Sciences cultural centre. You can hear his answers here.