A Week of Unique Sightings

These were the words that echoed across the fjord before the dark back and callosities (the thick layers of white skin on its head) of a North Atlantic right whale re-emerged from the waters of the mouth of the Saguenay Fjord. At the same time, several belugas, a minke whale, and a harbour seal were swimming nearby. Typically, North Atlantic right whales are more commonly observed in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. However, this is not the first time an individual of this species has made an incursion this far upstream. In 2022, a young individual even made it as far as Anse à la Boule in the Saguenay Fjord. With approximately 384 individuals remaining, this species is critically endangered.

A few kilometres farther down river, humpbacks Gaspar, H859 a.k.a. Yvon as well as H929 a.k.a. Éline were spotted. As for fin whales, Ti-Croche, Piton, Kashkan and Bp2829 have been turning heads in the Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park. Humpback whale H859 was also observed forming a bubble net to trap its prey—a feeding technique rarely seen in the region! These air bubbles are thought to be produced from their blowhole (article in French).

A surprising sighting of about fifteen minke whales in the same patch of water was made off the Tadoussac dunes by a naturalist and wildlife photographer. Within this gathering, two groups of four individuals appeared to be feeding. Rather solitary by nature, minke whales are rarely seen in groups. Associations do sometimes form, but generally only for a few breathing cycles.

“It’s 5 p.m. on June 19, 2026. We’re on our way back, having just left Saint-Augustin and heading toward La Tabatière. […] I’m going about my business when a passenger walks up to me. ‘There’s a black fish following the boat. Could there be a big fish around here?’ I head toward the starboard side, not very optimistic given the rough waves. And then, 20 metres away, a huge black dorsal fin appears! Killer whale!” exclaims a naturalist working on the Bella Desgagnés, a vessel that supplies the Lower North Shore. It turns out there were two killer whales swimming nearby. “I still get shiver with excitement just thinking about it. I was just lucky to be in the right place at the right time!” she adds.

Where are the whales this week? Sightings map

These data were reported by our network of observers. They give an idea of the presence of whales and in no way represent the actual distribution of whales in the St. Lawrence. Just for fun!

Click on the whale or seal icons to discover the species, the number of individuals, additional information or photos of the sighting. To enlarge the map, click on the icon in the top right-hand corner. The map works well on Chrome and Firefox, but not so well on Safari.

To display the list of sightings, click on the icon in the top left-hand corner.

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

• Croisières Baie de Gaspé
• André Bujold
• Laeticia Desbordes
• Diane Ostiguy
• Sandrine Papias
• Pascal Pitre
• Renaud Pintiaux
• JC Rochette
• Guillaume Savard
• Marielle Vanasse

And to all the others!

Additionally, we would like to acknowledge the following teams that also share their sightings:

Centre d’éducation et de recherche de Sept-Îles (CERSI)
Station de recherche des Îles Mingan (MICS)
Réseau d’observation des mammifères marins (ROMM)
Réseau québécois d’urgences pour les mammifères marins (RQUMM)
Groupe de recherche et d’éducation sur les mammifères marins (GREMM)
Mériscope