When they move, they move!

July 9: Off the coast of Matane, a humpback whale takes a dive. All eyes focus on its black-and-white tail; it’s Boom Boom River (BBR)!, also known in the Estuary as Gaspar. On the morning of July 11, Gaspar was photographed during a whale-watching cruise in the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park, not far from Tadoussac. Thus, in less than 48 hours, the whale covered roughly 175 kilometres!

Whales are champion swimmers and, when they get moving, they can travel hundreds of kilometres a day. Swimming speeds vary depending on the species, the individual, and the activity being carried out. Even when resting, whales don’t sit still. In addition to swimming at a good pace, whales also have endurance. So if a whale decides to set out on an adventure, good luck trying to keep up! Imagine, a fin whale can maintain speeds of 37 to 41 km/h, with peaks of 46 km/h.

Let’s talk about Gaspar again. She has joined at least eight other humpback whales in the Marine Park, including Tic Tac Toe and her calf. Several of the humpbacks identified are still juveniles, including Chewbacca. Sexual maturity in this species occurs at around 5 years of age.