Whale Q&A
Is it possible to collect dead whale skin in the St. Lawrence?
One reader sent us this video from Blue Planet Live in which researchers were collecting pieces of dead skin that…
Is it normal to see so many whales in winter?
In early January, GREMM (Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals) received numerous calls from observers claiming to have…
What good are whales?
The impact of the global decline of cetaceans is not fully understood, as it has never been quantified. But the…
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).…
What does a blue whale use its tongue for?
Blue whales have a huge tongue that weighs as much as an elephant. In addition to the sense of taste,…
Are there any whales that live in fresh water?
There are nearly 70 species of toothed whales and 13 species of baleen whales. Baleen whales use a highly specialized…
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.…
Do humpback whales have friends?
Since arriving in the Marine Park area, Tic Tac Toe has been observed multiple times with another female nicknamed Snowball.…
How does echolocation work?
In water, light is scarce, but sounds travels quickly. In such an environment, toothed whales such as belugas, sperm whales…
Do whales suffer from sunburn?
Unlike other mammals, whales do not have hair to protect their skin. Even if they spend little time at the…
What is a laryngeal sac?
The laryngeal sac is a structure found in baleen whales, but also in many other mammals, including primates (but not…
Are whales’ bones adapted to their diving?
Several species of whales have traits that are well suited to their diving behaviour. For example, the relatively small size…
A diver caught in a whale’s mouth?
While feeding at the surface, a Bryde's whale accidentally snatched up a diver, who found himself, from the waist up,…
Do Whales Have Baby Teeth?
Humans have two generations of teeth: deciduous teeth (from the Latin “to fall”) – also called “baby teeth” – and…
Since whales and ungulates share a common ancestor, are the former able to ruminate?
Whales are carnivores that feed on small shrimp-like crustaceans. Yet their digestive systems do not resemble those of carnivorous mammals.…
Where does the estuary end and the gulf begin? And what would make a species better adapted to the gulf than to the estuary?
When we speak of the St. Lawrence, we often hear the terms “Estuary” and “Gulf”. What do they mean? Where…
What purpose do fins serve in whales?
Whales generally have four fins: two pectoral fins (instead of arms), a caudal fin (also called the tail) and a…
How Do the Ventral Grooves of Rorquals Function?
The word “rorqual” comes from the Norwegian rorkval, which means “tubed” or “furrow-bellied” whale. The name refers to the folds…