The Magic of Dawn and Dusk

“Yesterday morning at around 7 a.m., we were greeted by whistling belugas, which were vocalizing out of the water. The sounds resonated in the morning silence; it’s a great reason to get up in the morning,” says Charlène Dupasquier. For four days, she has been camping on Grande Ile off the coast of Kamouraska, where she is assisting two researchers studying beluga vocalizations as part of a collaborative project being carried out by Ocean Wise, GREMM and the Marine Mammal Observation Network (MMON). Together, they are attempting to answer the intriguing question: “Are there any dialects within the St. Lawrence beluga population?”

“There are always belugas here; we spotted up to 25 individuals at the same time from our observation post. We see a lot of females with calves, yearlings, or lighter-coloured offspring. We have tremendous diversity not only in terms of age groups, but also in terms of behaviour,” she explains. “Feeding, socializing… The day before yesterday, a group of six brawny white belugas arrived. They were quite bossy in their attitude, chasing some of the females and creating a ruckus. It was definitely a group of bulls!”

From café au lait to pure white, the full palette of beluga colours is also present in Rivière-du-Loup, while just a few stealthy little backs are spotted from Cacouna.

Morning is also the perfect time to observe large blasts from Cap Bon Ami in Forillon National Park. Jean Roy, who owns a whale-watching cruise company, always takes the time to scout for whales before the first departures of the day. This week, he tallies up to five humpbacks and three fin whales, not to mention numerous minke whales and harbour porpoises. Atlantic white-sided dolphins are also very present, painting the horizon with yellow streaks as they leap across the water surface.

On Wednesday in Pointe-des-Monts, an observer informs us of the presence of twelve humpbacks and four fin whales. Four days earlier, a tourist on holiday in Godbout reported seven large blasts. Were they the same individuals? Impossible to say, but the number of observations suggests that the waters must be chock full of fish these days.

Grandiose light of the setting sun

On July 30, under the setting sun off the coast of Les Escoumins, two humpback whales decide to let loose for the camera lens of Renaud Pintiaux. Identified as H859 and H909, the two animals breach in every which direction, seeming to defy gravity. A few days later, the spout of a yet-to-be-identified newcomer sprays into the warm evening air.

Evening is also the most peaceful time of day on the Saguenay Fjord. Whatever the day’s weather, the waters of Anse de Roche almost always seem to regain their calm at sunset. On Tuesday evening, a kayak guide glides across a calm sea when a spout erupts: a group of belugas heads upriver along the opposite bank. Even if the beluga has a very small exhalation compared to larger whales, the particularity of the evening silence makes it possible to hear its breath from a great distance.

“On Sunday, August 1, I spent 9 hours at sea,” says an observer based in Gaspé. Between noon and 5 p.m., not a single blast. My friend and I were able to observe birds, seals and the stunning rocky slopes of Forillon National Park. Then, at around 5 in the evening, the magic began: hundreds of Atlantic white-sided dolphins approach, and whale spouts begin spewing out of the water. In the soft light of the setting sun, we observe a total of eight humpbacks, including a trio consisting of a calf and two adults. We returned to shore after the sun had already set, in the dark. The experience was so intense that I dozed off with my eyes open. I feel a deep sense of gratitude toward Mother Nature, who was so generous to us.”