TagBéluga
Once upon a time, there was the St. Lawrence beluga…
A year-round resident of the St. Lawrence, the beluga inspires admiration. With their ever-smirky facial expressions, belugas have become one…
2023 Beluga Mortality Assessment: The Trend Continues
According to data from the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network (QMMERN), last year saw the recovery of 17 beluga…
Élizabeth: Woman of Science and Belugas
Élizabeth, research assistant for the Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals (GREMM), has been photographing belugas since May…
The Big Blue
Viewed from the window, a powerful blast erupts from the river’s murky waters. From the comfort of their own home,…
Alloparental Care and Benefits for Young Belugas: Unanswered Questions
How do young belugas benefit from alloparental care? This is a question that Jaclyn Aubin and her colleagues tried to…
Rorquals in the Fjord and Sperm Whales
A new species is visiting the Gulf of St. Lawrence for the first time this year: the sperm whale. In…
Stars of the St. Lawrence
They exude an aura of magic that animates evening get-togethers along the shores of the St. Lawrence. Every year, visitors…
Gaspar, Guadeloupe and Aramis Put on a Show!
Although the start of the season has been a quiet one, whales seem to have finally arrived in the St.…
Solo or in groups, the cetaceans are back!
The list of marine species present in the St. Lawrence is getting longer and longer: blue whales and fin whales…
White Whales Mark the Return of Spring
This past week in the St. Lawrence, strong winds, inclement weather and rough seas did not make easy to observe…
Encounters with Giants
The mysterious series of spout sightings that began last week continues, only this time we might actually be able to…
From Swimming Giants to Flying Gulls
Sunny days, seabirds flying gracefully over the river as they forage for food, reflections in the crystal clear water and…
Belugas and Drones: A Call for Caution
Although drones are useful tools for conducting marine mammal research, it is legitimate to wonder what impact they may have…
Where are whales’ brains located?
From odontocetes to mysticetes, whale anatomy varies from one species to another, even with regard to their heads! The sperm…
Wintertime Seals, Whales and Belugas
This week, winter lovers were able to take advantage of the short, sunny days to admire seals, belugas, minke whales…
Eyes on the water
Every summer since 2003, the Parks Canada team has been scrutinizing the waters in and around Baie Sainte-Marguerite to tally…
Autumn Winds
Mariners are well aware that in fall, storms often produce strong winds from the east or northeast. While some enthusiasts…
How is math used to study whales?
A favourite subject for some but dreaded by others, math can sometimes be applied in unusual ways. As part of…
Fog-shrouded Waters
This past week was marked by the presence of fog almost all across the St. Lawrence. Mingan Islands, La Malbaie,…
Book of the Dead: Nearly 600 Beluga Carcasses Examined Over Past 40 Years
Every year, between 15 and 20 beluga carcasses are found and recovered along the shores of the St. Lawrence. Why…
“Now the season can start!”
A certain enchantment can sometimes develop between whales and the naturalists who observe them. For naturalist and wildlife photographer Renaud…
Climate Change Compromising Beluga Recovery
Despite the 1979 ban on commercial whaling that decimated the St. Lawrence beluga and the implementation of numerous protection measures,…
First Beluga Carcass Discovered in Les Escoumins
This is the first beluga whale carcass recovered for the 2022 season under the carcass recovery program initiated in 1983.…
Are beluga biopsies harmful?
Since 1994, GREMM’s research team has been conducting a long-term biopsy program (article in French) on the beluga population of…
Some Belugas More Affected than Others by Underwater Noise
Underwater noise is a major issue in the protection St. Lawrence belugas, which rely on sound to find their way,…
Do albino whales exist?
They stand out from other members of their species by their unusual whiteness. They are known as albinos. Like land…
“Window on Belugas” project receives $600,000 in funding from the Quebec government
On Monday, November 15, 2021 at 2:30 p.m., a press conference was held in Cacouna to announce the Government of Quebec’s…
Why is Baie Sainte-Marguerite closed to watercraft in summer?
[Updated on September 28th] Once again this year, from June 21 to September 21, the Baie Sainte-Marguerite sector remained off-limits…
With the mobile team… and a beluga carcass
By Marie-Maude Rondeau This summer, I’m working as a responder for the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network (QMMERN). I’m…
With visitors (and belugas!)… at the Pointe-Noire Interpretation and Observation Centre
Whether on water or on land, the research activities carried out by the Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals (GREMM)…
Whales in words and pictures at the CIMM (more!)
You don’t always need to see whales live to fall under their charm. Thanks to the selection of books (all…
The Magic of Dawn and Dusk
It was a bountiful week on the St. Lawrence this week, with spectacular marine mammal viewing to locals and visitors…
How does a whale carcass differ from an animal at rest?
Upon seeing a whale floating oddly on the water surface, do you decide to immediately jump overboard and save it…
Allocare in Belugas: Still a Mysterious Behaviour
Perched atop a tower in the middle of Baie Sainte-Marguerite, Jaclyn Aubin peered down on belugas for two summers (2017…
Dinner is served!
“The capelin are rolling like crazy here in the Gaspé,” says one observer. “At least ten humpbacks have been tallied…
Belugas’ Age Written in Their Skin
Determining the age of a wild beluga is quite a challenge. So when American researchers announce that they are developing…
Valentine’s Day, Cetacean Style
Signs of affection, saying “I love you” and showing it with sweet gestures. Such is the essence of Valentine’s Day.…
Belug-ice
Between the snow squalls, a small group of belugas weaves its way through the ice floes off Les Bergeronnes on…
Are the social relationships of belugas similar to our own?
Belugas live in remarkably complex societies with very diverse relationships, so much so that they might be considered closer to…
Generosity For Your Loved Ones… and For Whales, Too!
The 2020 holiday season will come with its share of challenges, just like the periods of adaptation that we all…
Stray Whales: Lost or Just Exploring?
Every so often, a solitary whale makes headlines. It might be a beluga seen off the coast San Diego, California,…
Sanctuary for Retired Belugas: Another Step Toward a Natural Habitat
The first two residents of a whale sanctuary have now been swimming in Klettsvik Bay since August 8, 2020. Belugas…
Reporting Carcasses: What’s the point?
The answer is simple: by reporting a carcass to the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network (QMMERN), you are helping…
With the Belugas… And Start of the 2020 Season
This year, GREMM’s (Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals) season of field research kicked off on June 15.…
Future sanctuary for captive Belugas in Nova Scotia
Creating a “retirement home” in the open sea that is capable of providing the best possible living conditions for whales…
Vagrant Alert: Beluga Seen in Chaleur Bay Area
On April 15, a beluga was observed in Chaleur Bay near Saint-Siméon-de-Bonaventure, in the Gaspé Peninsula. Witnesses contacted the Quebec…
Why do some belugas have turned-up pectoral fins?
This question is from Marie-Hélène D’Arcy, beluga photo-ID technician at the Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals (GREMM).…
With the Belugas… Their Newborns and the Narwhal
October 9: an Indian summer day, a calm St. Lawrence, spectacular fall foliage… the BpJAM sets sail for one of its…
With the belugas… and their blubber
By Valerie Jolicoeur, master student at UQAM This fall, I embarked on a major Master’s project that focuses on the…
With the belugas… And their amusing behaviours
September 6: While part of the team is returning from Alaska to lend a hand to researchers studying the beluga…
“Losing the Saguenay acoustic refuge means risking irreparable impacts to belugas”
The Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals (GREMM) is publishing a video to answer the many questions that…
Video of Beluga Playing with a Gull
A video of a beluga taking a gull in its mouth, following it around and even trying to taunt it…
With the belugas… under water
On the morning of July 26, the Bleuvet sets sail from the port of Tadoussac to study belugas. With 6 people on…
Twelfth Beluga Carcass This Year Found on the Banks of the St. Lawrence
A beluga carcass washed up in the Gaspé town of Les Méchins on August 6. The newborn beluga still had…
Do Planes and Helicopters Disturb Whales?
Whales are particularly sensitive to noise, whether human-made or natural. Noise can interfere with their communication and affect their behaviour.…
Does cat poop pose a problem for belugas?
On cat litter bags is a warning for pregnant women concerning a parasite found in cat feces. What is even…
Female beluga DL0584 dies while giving birth
An eighth beluga carcass washed up on the banks of the St. Lawrence River on July 4. The individual has…
Concerns for the Welfare of Eight Captive Whales Returned to the Wild
Since November 2018, 87 belugas and 10 killer whales have been illegally held captive in a “whale prison” off Nakhodka…
With the Belugas… And Listening In!
By Mathieu Marzelière At last! GREMM’s 2019 field season is officially underway. This first week was devoted to Fisheries and…
Beluga Belatedly Heads Back to Rejoin its Pod!
Since April 23, a beluga that could be described as a “vagrant” has been observed around the Gaspé Peninsula. The…
Industrial port developments on the Saguenay: a beluga’s perspective
Four industrial port development projects on the banks of the Saguenay River are in their final stages or have completed…
With the belugas: the fascinating work behind beluga pairing (part 2!)
In last week’s Field Notes, we presented the preparatory steps for beluga matching. This week, discover how the team adds…
Prince Albert II of Monaco foundation (Canada) offers $150,000 for St.Lawrence beluga research
Montréal, March 5, 2019: In the presence of His Serene Highness Albert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco and several directors…
Solitary dolphins and belugas : independant or lost?
The female dolphin known as “Dolphy” regularly plays with swimmers and boats in the French port of Collioure. It is…
Putting a face to a call : identifying belugas acoustically
A herd of belugas breaks through the surface of the water as their squawks, chirps, whistles and grunts fill the…
Belugas in aquariums : a brief history
Follow us on a journey that will take you from the St. Lawrence to Vancouver via Russia, New York and…
With the belugas… at full throttle!
Clear blue sky, low winds, calm sea… The perfect conditions for a productive day of photo-identification and photogrammetry. All we…
Opening of the Northwest passage : marine mammals at risk
With Arctic shipping routes increasingly used by merchant shipping, an ice-free Arctic Ocean could put the resistance and adaptability of…
Wave of solidarity for belugas
The summer of 2018 has seen a succession of announcements for investments and new projects designed to better understand and…
With the belugas… Hot to trot!
By Mathieu Marzelière and Albert Michaud Monday, August 27, 2018. Aboard the BpJAM, we set out of the Tadoussac port…
Menopause in belugas and narwhals
Menopause is a rather rare phenomenon. And yet a study published in Scientific Reports reveals that the females of two species of…
Adapting to Disability
GREMM research assistants photograph a group of belugas. Upon closer inspection, they make a surprising discovery: one of the animals…
With the belugas… including one without a tail!
Monday, August 13, 2018: At the crack of dawn, the BpJAMM crew heads out toward the mid-channel buoy in perfect…
With the belugas… and the unexpected on board the Bleuvet!
On Wednesday, August 8, the Bleuvet team was on the water searching for a herd of belugas to carry out…
With the belugas… and their waist measurements!
Although this technique is already used in other cetacean species – including killer whales and right whales – it is…
The Nepisiguit beluga is alive and well
Great news! The beluga that was trapped in the Nepisiguit River in New Brunswick and relocated to the St. Lawrence…
Protecting belugas from increasing shipping traffic in the arctic
The Arctic is undergoing a transformation. Melting pack ice is opening up new shipping routes and setting the stage for…
Two new beluga carcasses found in Bas-Saint-Laurent
Two beluga carcasses were found just two days apart in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region. The first carcass reported on July 9…
Back at the tower: a second season in Baie-Sainte-Marguerite
By Jaclyn Aubin Last Saturday, as I hauled myself up onto the platform of the tower, I felt a flutter…
With the belugas – GREMM kicks off new season
With new projects being launched this year and continuing regular beluga monitoring, the 2018 field season promises to be rich…
Beluga, what are you doing under the water?
The lives of diving animals take place for the most part under water, out of human sight. Can we, by…
Stranded newborn beluga in Alaska still in intensive care
Since being found stranded alive on September 30, the newborn beluga of the Cook Inlet population is still in intensive…
Fresh beluga carcass found in Saint-ulric
The Matane unit of Sureté du Québec contacted 1-877-7baleine after a resident stopped by the station to report a live…
With the belugas: week of october 16, 2017
The 2017 season is over! Autumn is already well upon us in Tadoussac, the sailboats have been taken out of…
From the sea to the lab: the journey of a beluga carcass (3/3)
In the past two weeks, we’ve tracked the journeys of beluga carcasses from the open sea to the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine…
With the belugas: week of october 2, 2017
A difficult autumn… For the past two weeks, the weather has not been on our side. A significant number of…
With the belugas: week of september 25, 2017
Hunters on the Prowl! A few weeks ago, we observed a beluga whale spitting on the water surface to hunt herring.…
From the sea to the lab: the journey of a beluga carcass (2/3)
From Necropsy to Microscope Last week, we tracked the journey of a female beluga from drifting offshore to the Faculty of Veterinary…
Who wants to play beluga researcher?
A team of researchers from Manitoba needs your eyes to sort through thousands of underwater photos of belugas. Are you…
From the sea to the lab: the journey of a beluga carcass (1/3)
Follow the stages of a beluga carcass recovery, from the initial report to the trip to the Faculty of Veterinary…
With the belugas… in Alaska: week of september 1, 2017
Belugas in the Mud From September 1 to 9, we were back in Anchorage, Alaska, for a second year in…
What is this beluga doing with this piece of wood?
By Maureen Jouglain In this video taken in the summer of 2016 off the land-based Pointe-Noire Interpretation and Observation Centre,…
With the belugas: weeks of July 10 and 17, 2017
Our team began to see the first calves of the year several weeks ago already, but in the past two…
With the Belugas: Week of July 3, 2017
Identifying Individual Belugas Belugas are not one of the most easily recognizable whale species. They do not systematically show their…
With the belugas: week of June 26, 2017
Belugas of Baie Sainte-Marguerite Baie Sainte-Marguerite is probably one of the most enigmatic places within the St. Lawrence beluga population’s…
How can a beluga survive out of water?
By Maureen Jouglain The rescue operation of the beluga trapped in the Nepisiguit River, New Brunswick, raised the question: how…
Are there any beluga nurseries in the St. Lawrence?
Topic of my Master’s project: Investigation of Allomothering in St. Lawrence Belugas For a long time, studies of cetaceans were…
With the belugas: week of June 19, 2017
Rolling the Dice After a first week spent in the upstream sector on the north shore side, the week of…
DL220 off Cap de Bon-Désir!
April 10, 2017. Back on the rocks of Cap de Bon-Désir. Rather quickly, I spot with my binoculars a herd…
Quantifying the Number of Belugas in the St. Lawrence
Article by Robert Michaud Fisheries and Oceans Canada recently published the results of the most recent St. Lawrence beluga census,…
Dead beluga stranded in magdalen islands; a carcass protected by law
On Saturday, a beluga washed up onto Fatima beach in the Magdalen Islands. The carcass is being eyed by local…
Can a whale be identified by its behaviour?
Many researchers identify whales using photo-identification, thus by their physical appearance. But can they identify individuals based on their behaviour?…
First beluga carcass of the year reported in gaspésie
The first beluga carcass of the year was reported to Marine Mammals Emergencies. A resident of the Gaspé Peninsula town…
Vancouver Aquarium: end of captivity for cetaceans
On March 9, after two evenings of public hearings, the Vancouver Parks Commission decided: there will be no more cetaceans…
Baby Beluga in the Limelight in 2016
Reported on Radio-Canada’s website by journalist Ariane Perron-Langlois, the story of the live newborn beluga found beached was one of…