Humpback Photographed in Gaspé Peninsula

“This morning from Cap-aux-Os, I spotted a humpback whale in Gaspé Bay. It was moving quite fast; perhaps it was just exploring and I was lucky enough to capture it with my camera at the right moment. The photo was taken from shore, so it’s obviously quite far away, but it almost looks like we might be able to identify it!” exclaims the lucky local resident who photographed the whale on May 12. Unfortunately, the angle and distance of the photo are not conducive to making an ID. Is this individual known to scientists?

By analyzing the markings and colour pattern of a humpback’s tail fluke, individuals can be distinguished from one another. Some show more white than black, while others bear scars that testify to the eventful lives and threats these whales face.

With the approach of warmer, longer days, research teams up and down the St. Lawrence have been working tirelessly to prepare for the season. Whether from shore or aboard research vessels, they’ll soon be scanning the waters to capture images of different whale species and collect valuable data in order to better understand, protect and co-exist with them.

“Last Saturday, after several hours of stiff winds, nothing to report but a lone harbour seal at Les Escoumins!” “It was hard to track between the waves, but it was hilarious to watch it struggling so hard to stay afloat amidst the swirling currents!” exclaimed a naturalist who had braved the fierce Côte-Nord weather. Adult and juvenile belugas were also present in the area that same day.

“I saw a minke whale yesterday and two blowing fin whales. They were spotted in Godbout,” shares one enthusiast. A few belugas have also been observed near Franquelin, where they seem to have been lingering the past few weeks.

Since the start of May, whales have made a big return to the St. Lawrence! The 200 km long St. Lawrence River is divided into three sections: the fluvial sector, the estuary, and the gulf. Under normal circumstances, marine mammals are not found in the fluvial sector, where there are no tides and the water is not salty. The estuary begins at Lac Saint-Pierre and ends at Pointe-des-Monts. The estuary’s highly saline (though much less so than the ocean) waters near Tadoussac support a wide variety of marine mammal species. The gulf widens and forms and inland sea that opens into the Atlantic via the Cabot Strait, (south of the island of Newfoundland) and the Strait of Belle Isle (north of Newfoundland).

Special thanks go out to all our observers who share their love for marine mammals with us.