Out of the Ordinary

August 7: At the lookout in Baie Sainte-Marguerite in the Saguenay Fjord National Park, a naturalist scans the bay for belugas. She hasn’t seen a single one in four days. The presence of these white whales in the bay is not constant. Between 2003 and 2016, Parks Canada observers noted that belugas were present in the bay 66% of the days (in French) they were on duty in July and August. When observing wildlife, the presence of animals is never guaranteed. She is just about to put down her binoculars when a movement on the surface catches her eye. It’s not a white back she sees, but the black one of a minke whale! This animal is feeding at the surface. It’s not every day that one observes minke whales this far up the Saguenay!

It’s not often that one goes weeks without a sighting, but it does happen. An observer in Havre-Saint-Pierre gazes out over the sea in search of whales, but to no avail.

Sometimes there are days when the weather is not conducive for research. Too much wind, strong waves, thunderstorms or heavy rains can cancel a day’s activities or force them to end earlier than planned. Other times, all the stars are aligned for a productive day, such as August 11, when the Mingan Island Cetacean Study team was able to launch and fly its drone as it continued its project on entanglements. That day, the team identified four humpbacks, including Jigsaw, and nine fin whales. They also note the presence of minke whales and porpoises in the same feeding area.