Field Notes
Skeletons Moved to Tadoussac’s Marine Mammal Interpretation Centre
Friday, May 15, 9:30 a.m. Fully dressed and knapsack ready to go, I can hardly wait to kick off this special…
Dawn of a Promising Season
A few days ago, I set sail out of Matane with a friend of mine. In the protected waters between…
Quiet Oceans: Has The Covid-19 Crisis Reduced Noise In Whale Habitats?
By Valeria Vergara, researcher with Ocean Wise’s Marine Mammal Conservation Research Program, specialist of acoustic communication in beluga whales and collaborator…
Catch Me If You Can: A Week at the Saddle Island Haulout
6:30 a.m.: The alarm goes off, sounding the start of a new day in the field. I’m not in Tadoussac,…
Skeleton Preparations Move Forward
At the time of his most recent interview with a Whales Online intern in the fall of 2018, Michel Martin,…
Is ice a significant natural threat to blue whales in the Gulf?
Revisiting the photos I took this past summer, I pondered some of the specific markings I had observed on blue…
A Speckled Humpback… by Anik Boileau
By Anik Boileau, Veterinary Science Researcher and Director of CERSI With the arrival of fall in the Sept-Îles region, it’s…
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…
End-of-season field notes 2017 (part II)
The last trip offshore for the year took place on November 4. Here is the second part of these Field…
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…
With Large Rorquals… and Their Gaping Mouths
By Maude-Émilie Bourque August 28, 2019: it’s my last day as a volunteer research assistant for the GREMM this season.…
With the large rorquals… The biggest!
By Maude-Émilie Bourque Sunday, August 25, 2019. I leave for Grandes-Bergeronnes at the crack of dawn with my equipment: camera…
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…
With the Belugas… Out Fishing!
July 3, 2019: The BpJAM is back at sea for the 2019 field season, with the same crew as last…
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…
A Blue Whale At Last!
I finally encountered my first large rorqual of the season! And it was about time: I had already travelled 240…
Travelling “down south”… by Albert Michaud
By Albert Michaud This winter, I had the chance to leave Quebec and go “down South”. Not to the Caribbean…
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…
My week at the whale warehouse
It all started with Marie-Ève, my Editor-in-Chief, asking me, “Would you like to spend a week with skeletons, Jass?” Next…
The last one from sea
It is the end of the 2018 season on the water but there is still life at sea. It is…
A sperm whale in front of the dunes of Tadoussac
Gloomy weather, but the river is calm on this October 29th as I embark on the Grand Fleuve for a whale-watching excursion.…
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…
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…
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…
“Mom, can you hear me?” season #2
By Valeria Vergara and Marie-Ana Mikus (guest researchers from Ocean Wise Conservation Association) Time flies on the beluga research tower…
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…
With the Belugas… And a Narwhal!
By Mathieu Marzelière and Albert Michaud A new season is getting underway aboard GREMM's Zodiac, the BpJAM. New season, new…
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…
A history of fidelity
Friday, June 8: after being notified of 3 blue whales purportedly present in the Gaspé region, I decide to head…
Ti-Croche, artiste and a minke whale in the air
A look back at the observations of the last two weeks off Tadoussac. At the end of May, it was…
Start of 2018 season on the St. Lawrence: a beautiful transition!
Whale-watching cruises in the Tadoussac region resumed on April 27. After six months on land, what a joy it is…
The humpbacks of Mazatlan
Thursday, January 4, 2018: while a weather bomb is pummelling Quebec, I have an appointment at 7:30 in the morning…
End-of-season field notes 2017 (part I)
The field season ended on November 4. But there are still quite noteworthy observations (marine mammals, birds, landscapes) and two…
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…
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.…
With the belugas: week of september 18, 2017
This week, we are giving the floor to Alexandre Bernier-Graveline, UQAM Master’s candidate in bioaccumulation and the effects of environmental…
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…
With the Belugas: Week of August 28, 2017
From May to October, five days a week, the Bleuvet criss-crosses the St. Lawrence River in search of herds of…
With the Belugas: Week of August 21, 2017
August 21: The Bleuvet is stationed off of L'Anse-à-la-Boule. The weather is particularly calm. Amidst the last patches of fog…
Whale soup
Monday morning, August 7. My vacation kicks off and pushes me to the opposite coastline, in the direction of the…
Investigation in the marine park!
It all begins on the morning of July 10, 2017, a rather ordinary day. The weather is fairly mild, visibility…
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…
A great show in Gaspesie
When you take a whale-watching trip, you need to be lucky to observe a breaching session. To watch two such…
In Pursuit of the Fin Whale
Last July 13, 2017, I spent my day on the water in search of large rorquals to photograph. The weather…
My most faithful humpback
According to data provided by the Mingan Island Cetacean Study, the humpback whale H626 (MICS catalogue number) – known as…
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…
Who am I?
Teeming with marine life, the St. Lawrence Estuary is a wonderful place. As a research assistant at the Group for…
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…
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…
With the belugas: the research season 2017 is on!
No sooner do we exit Tadoussac Bay when we spot a herd of belugas between Ilet-aux-Morts and Pointe-Noire. It was…
Minke whale with calf and two fin whales
June 2, 2017. Foray off Tadoussac and an exceptional morning observation! According to my information, this is the first one…
The Godbout’s humpback whale: another milestone reached!
On May 3, the carcass of a young humpback whale was found beached in Godbout. Following sampling for research purposes,…
The Beauty of New Life
The month of May is a bit chilly out on the water and windows of favourable weather are somewhat narrower…
Focus: Harbor Seals of the Saguenay Fjord
In the past few days, spotting and locating minke whales and fin whales off the coast of Tadoussac has proven…
My First Encounter with Pilot Whales
On Saturday, May 13, together with Katy Gavrilchuk and David Gaspard, members of the Mingan Islands Cetacean Study (MICS) team,…
A New Face
Dear readers, The most observant amongst you may have noticed a new name beneath some of our articles in the…
Exciting First Outing of the Spring
On Friday, May 5, I made my first trip out to sea of the 2017 season. Usually I make this…
Offshore Season Kicks Off in Tadoussac!
Since May 1, I finally have the pleasure once again to sail the waters of the St. Lawrence Estuary… to…
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…
First Days of Spring in Haute-Côte-Nord
March 21, 2017. Afternoon of dream at the Cape of Bon-Désir, near Les Bergeronnes. A river ever so serene. As…
Doing research in winter: here is what happens at the GREMM
In summer, the Bleuvet and BpJAM ply the waters of the St. Lawrence and the Saguenay Fjord to study the…
Still plenty of belugas on the upper north shore
By Renaud Pintiaux January 17 and 18: I’m back on the rocks of Cape de Bon-Desir. Once again, it’s the…
Start of 2017 in Haute-Côte-Nord: A Fin Whale and a Group of Belugas
By Renaud Pintiaux The year’s off to a great start! January 2: I’ve no sooner arrived at Cap de Bon-Desir,…
End of November: Two Humpbacks and a Survivor!… by Renaud Pintiaux
November 25, 2016, Cap de Bon-Désir: moderate winds from the northeast and a few flurries begin to fall this morning.…
Birds and Marine Mammals, Focus on Gray Seals and… a Jellyfish!
Rain and wind have pummelled the Haute-Côte-Nord region in recent days, but no matter! I've been spending a lot of…
Who are these minke whales?
By Mériscope October 23, 2016: last trip out to sea. The 6th season of photo-identifying St. Lawrence minke whales is…
On the Rocks of Cap de Bon-Désir
The season on the water is over, but marine mammals have yet to leave the area! From November 5 to…
Final Trip Offshore for the 2016 Season and an Exceptional Observation!
November 5: we're back on the waters of the Estuary for the last whale-watching cruise of 2016. Shortly after leaving…
Early November and Continuing Action off Tadoussac!
The field season is drawing to a close, and for real this time! Nevertheless, whales are still numerous off Tadoussac…
Revelation of the Year: Mingan Humpbacks in my Backyard!… by René Roy
I didn't suspect that I would close out the 2016 season with so many humpback sightings in the Estuary. This…
With the Belugas: Week of October 10, 2016
Final Week with the Belugas Autumn has now been in full swing in Tadoussac for a few weeks and, as…
And the Season Continues!
The offshore season has been extended one week... Awesome! On October 30, ours was the only boat out at sea.…
Focus on Fin Whales
December 9, 2015: from the rocks of Cap de Bon-Desir, I spotted five fin whales with my binoculars and took…
With the Belugas: Week of October 3rd, 2016
This week we speak with Anthony Simond, who spent two weeks aboard the Bleuvet in September 2016 to collect bacteria…
A Special Visitor off Tadoussac
October 17: offshore foray out of Tadoussac. Near Prince Shoal, we first cross paths with several minke whales feeding near…
Zipper, Trou, Gray Seals and Minke Whales
October 13, 2016: With the beautiful autumn light and breathtaking landscapes, it was another splendid trip out to sea from…
With the Belugas: Week of September 26, 2016
Curious Belugas... and a Humpback This week we are resuming regular photo-ID work of our St. Lawrence belugas. We're treated…
Great Diversity off the Coasts of our Villages
The past several days have been quite spectacular off the coasts of our villages. What diversity! There is a strong…
Autumn: an awesome season if you don’t mind the cold and want to see blue whales…
In the Lower Estuary, it seems that fall is the best time to observe blue whales. Compared to other species,…
With the Belugas: Weeks of September 5, 12, and 19, 2016
Beluga Pregnancy Tests: Data Collection Complete! The fourth and final collection of biopsies to determine the proportion of pregnant female…
Analysis of a Trip Out to See the Giants…
When searching for large rorquals, just because you have a good boat and you head to a known offshore feeding…
With the Belugas: Week of August 29, 2016
Chatty males! This week, we took advantage of the gorgeous weather to visit the downstream sector, where we regularly encounter…
Renowned Blue Whales… by Jaclyn Aubin
Today I would like to share a particularly phenomenal cruise that I had the chance to take. Arriving at our…
The Almost Mythical Blue Whale… by Audrey Tawel-Thibert
More than ten years ago, I first laid eyes on the largest animal that Earth has ever seen: the blue…
With the Belugas: Week of August 22, 2016
The Astonishing Miss Frontenac This week, fog forced us to work once again in the Saguenay, but luck is on…
Return of Blanco
August 30, 2016: a long 10-hour day out on the water. Eighty-five nautical miles cruising along the south and north…
Tail of a Fin Whale
Another beautiful morning on the water off of Tadoussac. Variable cloudiness and calm waters. A pair of fin whales near…
Breaching Minke Whale and Surface Feeding Humpback
More great moments were enjoyed off Tadoussac on the morning of August 25, 2016. Moderate winds from the southwest and…
With the Belugas: Week of August 15, 2016
Belugas of Cook Inlet (cont'd.) Second week with belugas in Alaska. Even if the scenery and water colour are a…
Meeting Up with Giants… by Jaclyn Aubin
"The blue whale is the biggest whale, right?" That's a question I hear often. Well yes! The blue whale, which can…
When the Humpback Comes to the Table… by Audrey Tawel-Thibert
On the afternoon of August 16, 2016, a young humpback whale, probably Fleuret's calf, was surface feeding. Together with other…
The Pictures Speak for Themselves
Following a fantastic day off Tadoussac on August 17, 2016, here is an album exceptionally full of photos, all taken…
With the Belugas: Week of August 8, 2016
With the Belugas… of Cook Inlet From August 10 to 23, the Bleuvet team defected to go lend a hand…
Objective Blue Whale: Guided by the Colour of their Excrement
Despite pleasant summertime temperatures, sustained winds of 20 to 35 knots force me to stay downwind of Cap Gaspé. I…
A Forest of Spouts…
On the morning of August 13, as the tide was rising, we identify a group of fin whales in the…
Cetacean Beauty and Acrobatics
Lots of action off shore in recent days. Of course, there are those rarities that have been observed on several…
Encounter with a Gray Seal… by Jaclyn Aubin
In recent weeks, it seems impossible to go out on the water without seeing at least a hundred or so…
With the Belugas: Week of August 1st, 2016
Calves, calves, and more calves. The beluga calving season is in full swing. Despite the newborn mortalities recorded in recent…
The Famous Breach of the Humpback… by Audrey Tawel-Thibert
The morning of August 5 is a difficult one out on the water. Shooting photos from a small Zodiac is…
With the Belugas: Week of July 25, 2016
This week we give the floor to our collaborator Valeria Vergara, a research scientist at the Vancouver Aquarium, who has…
Rising Sun over the St. Lawrence… by Jaclyn Aubin
In the past few months, I've learned that photo-identification work has nothing to do with artistic photography. Indeed, it is…
Gray Seals, Minke Whales, Fin Whales and Spectacular Scenery
In recent days, we've been observing gatherings of hundreds of gray seals off of Tadoussac. Above them, flocks of herring…
With the Belugas: Week of July 18, 2016
Mom, Can You Hear Me? — Continuation In the summer of 2015, we carried out a pilot project to assess…
With the Belugas: Week of July 11, 2016
Start of the Calving Season For belugas, the calving period runs from June to September. So it's no wonder that…
Spectacular Diversity… by Jaclyn Aubin
It is often said that the St. Lawrence is a smorgasbord for whales. Indeed, the river has several characteristics that…
Powerful Spouts, Beaming Sun, Shear Awe… by Renaud Pintiaux
Four to six fin whales have set up camp in recent days in the area between Tadoussac and Les Escoumins.…
With the Belugas: Week of July 4, 2016
A late start but some big reunions... After a series of mechanical problems, the Bleuvet is finally back on the water this…
Amazing Fin Whales… by Jaclyn Aubin
Despite several days of adverse conditions, last week proved to be very conducive for observing fin whales in the Marine…
Rediscovering Whales by Ear… by Audrey Tawel-Thibert
When we boarded the boat at 11:30 a.m. on June 28, I had noticed the layer of fog that was shrouding…
Humpbacks off of Cap Gaspé
Thursday, June 30: two friends and I set out for L'Anse-au-Griffon for a "hit-and-run" birding mission. Our goal is to…
A Gam of Fin Whales in the Gaspé
After several days of waiting in early June, a window of favourable weather finally arrived on June 18. And so…
Under the Summer Sun: Yogi, a Few Rorquals and a Curious Seal
June 24, 2016: a fantastic trip off of Tadoussac to celebrate Saint-Jean Baptiste Day! Bright sun, light winds. Breathtaking landscapes. Our…
Following Researchers at Sea
Several research teams made their inaugural trips of the season in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence in recent…
The Power of Fin Whales and the Energy of Minke Whales
On the morning of June 3, as our boat sat motionless for several minutes off the Prince Shoal Lighthouse, two…
At Least Six Fin Whales off Tadoussac
On the morning of May 31, it was a thrill to locate no fewer than six fin whales between Prince…
Five Fin Whales, a Minke Whale in Action and a Festival of Jaegers
On the morning of May 29, we observe five fin whales offshore between Tadoussac and Les Bergeronnes. Their huge blasts…
First Trip of the Season in Gaspé
The first trip of the season is definitely one of the most exhilarating. The excitement of being on the water…
First trip out to sea
How great it feels to be on the water again! A new season begins... Back to the majestic St. Lawrence,…
Belugas on the Move
Update, January 19, 2016: Theories as to Why the Project was not as Successful as Expected
At the dawn of the beluga seasonal migration, one question remains: where will they winter? This question is at the…
Beyond Cap de Bon-Désir, fin whale Bp929…
[caption id="attachment_16956" align="alignright" width="150"] Rorqual commun non reconnu[/caption] On December 5, through my binoculars, I spot five fin whales, two…
Minke Whale Santafin at Cap de Bon-Désir…
Luck and patience. These are the two key words if ones hopes to enjoy interesting sightings of marine mammals from…
Harbour Seal Gathering in Tadoussac
November 30, 2015: Tadoussac: I'm walking on the beach, from Tadoussac Bay to the dunes. At this time of year…
Close of 2015 Season Off the Shores of Tadoussac
It's one of the last trips offshore for the 2015 season. There's a tinge of sadness, for sure, but it's…
Fall Temperatures and Breaching Minke Whale
A strong wind is blowing from the west-southwest today, Monday, October 19. Nevertheless, I have the pleasure of observing a…
With the Belugas: Week of September 21, 2015
Mission accomplished! It's the third and last week of the intensive biopsy program for St. Lawrence belugas. Our goal is…
A Gorgeous October Morning
The wind is blowing from the northwest. It's a sunny but chilly day. The beauty of the landscape is breathtaking:…
With the Belugas: Week of September 14, 2015
Biopsies Made Challenging by the Wind In this second week of the intensive beluga biopsy program, we have spent 16…
With the Belugas: Week of September 7, 2015
THE MYSTERY OF BAIE SAINTE-MARGUERITE This week, we take a closer look at the intensive beluga biopsy program spearheaded by…
With the Belugas: Week of August 31, 2015
One, two, three...four newborns are surrounding us! In 18 hours with belugas this week, we conducted four censuses and encountered…
Finding Symphonie in the Middle of the Estuary
I had a great outing in the Estuary on September 22 together with Katy and David, two members of the…
With the Belugas: Week of August 24, 2015
MOM, CAN YOU HEAR ME? This week, the team had 11 encounters in 22 hours with belugas. Two boats were…
With the Belugas: Week of August 17, 2015
Good news for calves! In 14 hours with belugas, we conducted four censuses and a total of 10 calves were…
Surface Feeding Behaviour in Blue Whales
Sunday, September 13: as usual, I had to deal with the tide when putting my boat into the water and…
In the St. Lawrence: a Scene that Changes by the Hour
My expectations are low as I leave the Tadoussac wharf on the morning of September 9, a heavy blanket of…
With the Belugas: Week of August 10, 2015
YOGI SWIMS UP THE SAGUENAY ALONE This week, fog is prevalent. Our observations had to be cut short. Nevertheless, we…
A Ballet of Minke Whales, Gray Seals and Black-legged Kittiwakes
September 10: this morning, calm conditions seem to be reigning off the coast of Tadoussac. This is but an illusion.…
With the Belugas: Week of August 3
A BELUGA THAT SHOWS ITS TEETH Several hours at sea for Week 6 in the field! In total: 20 hours…
Porpoises: Shy Whales? Not in the Least… by Marie-Pier Poulin
Not this week at least! On several cruises, observers old and young smiled as they discovered harbour porpoises, those small,…
Minke Whales Draw my Attention… by Catherine Chassé
After a morning working in the lab, I finally head offshore in the afternoon to join the whales. Earlier that…
First Encounter with the Largest Animal on the Planet… Marie-Pier Poulin
I had heard that the St. Lawrence is one of the few places where one can observe blue whales, even…
Undeterred by the Weather… by Catherine Chassé
Waves, fog and wind await me off of Tadoussac. Even before boarding the zodiac, I know that today will not…
The Great Feast off Tadoussac
The river is calm. The Sun is shining brightly above our heads. A storm looms in the distance, coming from…
Straight Out of a Dream
Photos: © René Roy I just woke up from a dream ... A dream in which I was at a…
From Tadoussac to Les Escoumins, Another Magical Day…
How can we forget that we live in one of the most beautiful places in the world when, on this…
Northern gannets steal the show from whales in Tadoussac
In recent days, gannet observations almost overshadow those of whales, at least as far as I'm concerned! They number in…
With the Belugas: Week of July 27
BELUGAS AND WAVES! It's been a tough week for working out at sea. However, we have completed three surveys and…
With the Belugas: Week of July 20, 2015
We are in the 4th week of field work for the St. Lawrence beluga behavioural study. We have gone out…
With the Belugas: Week of July 13
RESEARCHERS' TIPS TO RECOGNIZE THEM In the course of three days at sea, as part of our behavioural study project…
With the Belugas: Week of July 6
Our second week in the field for the beluga behavioural study was spread over three non-consecutive days (July 6, 9…
Gaspé Mission: Happy Encounters and a Sad Discovery
Almost five days on the water and some 250 nautical miles covered in the Gaspé-Percé sector from June 30 to…
With the Belugas: Week of June 29
The field season for the St. Lawrence beluga behavioural study is under way. The first week consisted of three days…
Leaving the Belugas for the Winter
Le Bleuvet has been taken out of the water for the winter. For the past two weeks, the team was…