What is it that I see?

Two birders based in Rivière-Ouelle are “interrupted” by the arrival of a herd of belugas in their field of view. Usually, the couple watches sea mammals only half-interestedly, preferring the multi-hued plumages of birds to the smooth skin of whales. But one of the animals captures their attention. Its dark skin is covered with paler spots. A narwhal? The small whale approaches within 100 metres of the dock and lifts its tail as it dives, leaving a cloud of bubbles behind.

The shape of its tail intrigues the observers. It is more rounded than that of whales. Then, a little farther away, a second dark and spotted individual emerges. For half an hour, one of the birders manages to follow these small whales. She photographs them and sends the images to GREMM with the somewhat crazy hope that she witnessed two narwhals amongst the belugas. Instead, researchers inform her that she saw a bluevet, which is what French-speakers call a second-year calf! This colouring stage occurs after the first year of a beluga’s life and can last until its third year. Although we are used to imagining belugas as completely white, this species changes colour between birth and adulthood, acquiring its emblematic white colouring between the ages of 12 and 16. This change in pigmentation adds a further layer of complexity for researchers attempting to identify individual belugas, as some markings can fade over time.

In Saint-Siméon, a local resident is surprised to see white belugas accompanied by younger greys on March 27. Elated, the observer rushes outside barefoot to film his sighting. He counts about ten individuals that, by their very presence, are a sign that spring has arrived.