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Archives – The whale news network 2003The whale news network: a weekly compilation of the "whale-watching" experience in the St. Lawrence Estuary and Gulf. Thanks to all the network collaborators! You may obtain information on specific topics by using the "find" function in the "edit" menu of your browser ( Example : search for the word "dolphin" to discover where and when dolphins were spotted by the whale news network).You can consult the Whale news network archives of
other years.
9 January 2003, vol. 7 no 1 Who said there were no whales in the St. Lawrence in winter? What follows are sightings our observers were lucky enough to make over the past few weeks in Gaspésie and along the North Shore. Whales take advantage of the bounty of the St. Lawrence for as long as the ice cover does not become an obstacle. A true buffet for the Holiday Season … and throughout the year! There be blows in Gaspésie On December 20, observers counted between 10 and 15 blows off Percé. During the Holidays some twenty fin whales and blue whales were hanging out between Percé and Grande-Rivière. Their blows could be seen in clear weather. On January 4, residents of Sainte-Thérèse-de-Gaspé were amazed as three humpback whales paraded along on a glassy sea, moving slowly, feeding and swimming on their sides. Several whales were wandering around Percé Rock on January 8. A humpback Christmas and a blue New Year Our observer from Gallix (in the Sept-Iles area) went to sea on Christmas day. His present: an encounter with a humpback whale! The animal, surrounded by birds, was feeding. It would arc its back and the hump in front of its dorsal fin was clearly visible. This all took place approximately three nautical miles off Brochu River. A few days earlier, on December 20, another outing entitled him to an impressive show. On this occasion it turned out to be a surface feeding blue whale exposing its ventral grooves and its enormous rostrum. Seabirds also surrounded the blue whale, sharing in its feast of krill. On December 26, this same observer spotted two blows from his residence in Gallix. On the morning of the New Year, a blue whale was blowing offshore in the sun. Blows were again visible on the morning of January 2. And in the Estuary Six or seven large rorqual type whales were seen off Pointe-à-Boisvert on the North Shore on December 31. Our observers attempted to spot them again the following day, but wind and ice conditions were not propitious. Three blue whales were roaming around the Les Escoumins area in the first days of January. Several of our observers report having seen them. Another animal, that may have been a fin whale, was also sighted. Several beluga whales are still present in this area. Two blue whales were spotted on January 3 and 4 near Sainte-Anne-de-Portneuf. 16 January 2003, vol. 7 no 2 Large whales still abound Further recent sightings of blue whales have been reported in the Estuary: two flukers at Cap-de-Bon-Désir on January 7, another blue whale on the same site on January 9, one (maybe two) at Longue-Rive on January 10 and two large blows (probably more blue whales) off Les Escoumins on January 14. One blue whale and two fin whales were spotted at Petits-Escoumins on January 11. Our observer from Gaspé Bay saw four fin whales on January 10, 11 and 12 off Grande-Grave. A blue whale was seen off Grande-Rivière on January 14, with other blows visible in the distance. Why do certain whales remain here in winter? Although it is true that the beluga is the only whale to reside in the St. Lawrence year round, representatives of other species (blue whale, fin whale, and humpback whale) are regularly seen in our waters over the course of the winter. Why is this? Apparently the abundance of food encourages certain whales to remain in the St. Lawrence at the limit of the ice pack. The waters of the St. Lawrence remain rich and full of life throughout winter. Certain species of fish, such as the Atlantic tomcod, sand lance and halibut are in the middle of their mating season. Krill has a life span greater than two years and is present in our waters even in winter. The St. Lawrence is anything but an ice-bound desert; it has the ability to satisfy the appetites of giants. But don't the whales have to head south to mate? Not all of them. Blue whales and fin whales do not congregate on precise mating grounds. They tend to disperse in the Atlantic Ocean. As for humpback whales, they congregate in the Caribbean Sea. However, there are non-reproductive individuals (such as juveniles or males that are not "competitive" enough) for whom it is probably more advantageous to remain in the rich waters of the St. Lawrence than to travel thousands of kilometres to warm waters that, in the end, contain very little food. 23 January 2003, vol. 7 no 3 Sea smoke and ghost ships As you are probably all too aware, this week it’s cold, very cold. On the St. Lawrence, as glacial air comes into contact with the warmer water (with a temperature near the freezing point), it produces a phenomenon commonly referred to as "fumée de mer" (sea smoke). Strong winds whip this "smoke" into tatters that dance over an impressive rolling sea. Now and then a mast appears through this moving curtain… a ghost ship in an apocalyptic landscape with a mysterious icebound aura. These conditions are not very conducive to observations. Needless to say, the ice that has piled up over long stretches of shoreline in certain areas doesn’t help much either. Despite all of this, a large rorqual whale was spotted off Les Escoumins last Thursday, and a blow was seen in the same area the following day, as well as several blows over the weekend. Elsewhere, there was nothing more to be seen than the whirling white horizon. 30 January 2003, vol. 7 no4 Spray and little punks Now that the wind has died down, the spray-covered windows of houses along the water’s edge bear witness to its passage. Spray is defined as the powder left by droplets that are formed when breaking waves are carried off by the wind. If you taste this powder, you will note a distinct salt flavour! A funny looking seabird can be seen along the shore these days. The red-breasted merganser is easy to identify by its crest that sticks straight up, giving it the appearance of a little "punk". It winters over along the coasts of the St. Lawrence Estuary, in Gaspésie and in the Maritimes. One can often see it diving for food. It feeds mostly on small fish, as well as molluscs and crustaceans. Here’s a trick if you want to get a closer look: approach stealthily while it is under water, then remain immobile when it resurfaces. Anticosti and harp seals Our final sighting report from the North Shore shuttle, the Nordik Express, came in this week. On January 8, two fin whales were spotted off the westernmost point of Anticosti Island. Latest breaking news: a blue whale was blowing three nautical miles off Les Escoumins on January 29. Thousands of harp seals are also present in the Les Escoumins area as well as off Rimouski and Matane. Stay tuned, in coming weeks we will be publishing a special bulletin concerning this species and its annual winter visit to the St. Lawrence. 6 February 2003, vol. 7 no5 Good spirits and a snowstorm Our observer from Percé keeps a sharp eye out on the water, even during snowstorms. She spotted three immature bald eagles flying towards Bonaventure Island along with some twenty seals on the ice. Observers from Les Escoumins, in very good spirits, contemplated harp seals in various coves along the shoreline. "Sea wolves" (Loups marins) Thousands of harp seals (locally referred to as loups marins or "sea wolves"in English) have been present in the St. Lawrence Estuary between Rivière-du-Loup and Forestville since the beginning of winter. They feed in the Estuary during winter. They are most abundant in this area before and after the mating season in March. Female harp seals will soon be leaving the Estuary to whelp in the Gulf. Adult males will then join up with them to mate. Afterwards, many of them will return to the Estuary to stuff themselves on prey, mainly capelin. "Sea wolf" hunters Did you know that harp seals are hunted along the North Shore? For example, a small group of sealers from Les Escoumins have formed a sealing co-operative. This year, a special training session will be offered to sealing permit holders. Sealers work on the water from large motorized vessels. The meat is consumed locally. Some of it is also sold to mink farms or used by provincial park wardens as bear bait. Pelts are sent to a tannery. Sealers also participate in a study conducted by the Québec Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by collecting fat samples for contaminant analysis. Last year, approximately 800 seals were killed in the Les Escoumins area. Sealers have not been able to go out on the water very often this winter due to strong winds. The hunt will continue through to the end of March. Rumour has it that the seals are particularly fat this year! As for rumours about the hunters… uh… 13 February 2003, vol. 7 no6 News from Gallix Our observer from Gallix (near Sept-Îles) recently sent news. Hundreds of harp seals have been present throughout the area since December. Large groups of hundreds of red-breasted mergansers can be seen near shore. North Shore blue whale Once again, there have been reports of recent sightings of blue whales. One animal was blowing off Les Escoumins on January 31. One was seen off Îlets Boisés on February 1. And last Friday, February 7, an immense representative of this species was visible from the Les Escoumins wharf. The ice season February is typically more an ice season than a whale season. The Canadian Ice Service (Environment Canada) and the Maurice Lamontagne Institute (Fisheries and Oceans Canada) are collaborating on the surveillance and forecast of ice in the St. Lawrence. They use boat and aircraft patrols, along with satellite data for this purpose. They are also in the process of developing a model for the prediction of ice cover that will integrate various data such as tides, water flow, atmospheric forecasts (wind, temperature,…) field observations, etc. The surveillance and forecasting of ice is essential for merchant vessels that navigate year round on the St. Lawrence. The Coast Guard’s Ice Centre in Québec City assembles all of the data for the broadcast of its daily Ice Bulletin and to indicate routes for navigators. Icebreakers undertake icebreaking and escort activities for cargo vessels in the St. Lawrence and the Saguenay. As usual, St. Lawrence pilots embark on ships to guide them between Les Escoumins and Montreal. During the ice season ships also call on ice pilots throughout the St. Lawrence, the Gulf included. This year the St. Lawrence is already very icy, a situation that is likely to continue for a while yet. Happy ice season! I want to know more The St. Lawrence Observatory Site, managed by the MLI (click on Ocean Forecast) Canadian Ice Service Site, Environment Canada Canadian Coast Guard Site (Icebreaking program) 20 February 2003, vol. 7 no7 Krill on the rocks Walking on a snow covered beach between turquoise coloured blocks of ice; the sand is covered with a sheet of ice. The tide is rising. Against a pale and shiny background, small wriggling shapes can be seen through the glacial waters. They are four centimetres in length, transparent, with red legs and organs and black, marble-shaped eyes: krill. Or, if you prefer, representatives of the euphausid group of animals. To be specific, in the literal sense: Meganyctiphanes norvegica. Offshore there are likely thousands more, enough to feed a blue whale swimming through the ice floes. Oh! There’s another organism! Grey in colour, it measures two and a half centimetres long and doesn’t swim in the same manner. Its eyes are huge and globular. This one’s an amphipod, possibly of the genus Themisto. These little guys sure aren’t afraid of the cold. Ice fishing Ice fishing is a popular activity in the Saguenay Fjord. In a given season, there are as many as 1500 shacks and nearly 60 000 fishing days (the number of fishermen multiplied by the number of days fished). The species most often taken is smelt, along with the occasional Greenland cod and redfish. Groundfish stocks are not what they once were. To be honest, the situation is quite troubling. Cod, turbot and redfish were caught by the thousands just a couple of years ago. Now, turbot and cod are rarely caught and redfish catches are a lot lower than they used to be. It is not known if these species reproduce in the Saguenay Fjord or if they enter the Fjord with water flowing in from the St. Lawrence Estuary. Note: Several years ago, fishermen in the Saguenay caught Greenland sharks! 27 February 2003, vol. 7 no8 Belugas! Three belugas were spotted off Les Bergeronnes on Tuesday, February 25. This is a rare sighting. During winter most belugas can generally be found further downstream, sometimes as far as the western portion of the Gulf and along the Gaspé Peninsula. Winter sightings of belugas are also regularly reported off Rimouski and Sainte-Flavie. In the spring they move upstream towards the village of Tadoussac, the Saguenay Fjord and the Charlevoix region. Other marine mammals also animate the seascape; harp seals are still being reported in large numbers in the Estuary. Dancing Goldeneyes Goldeneyes are diving ducks that winter over in the St. Lawrence. They are already displaying courtship behaviour. Male nuptial plumage is black and white with a round, white patch on each cheek. The courtship dance performed by the male for the female is quite spectacular; it throws its head back vigorously, almost touching its rump. It can also accelerate rapidly on the water, splashing up a very turbulent wake, apparently as a challenge to other males. Observers hiking around a bay also reported groups of black ducks, several mallards, a solitary guillemot in pale winter plumage, three greater black-backed gulls and red-breasted mergansers. 6 March 2003, vol. 7 no9 Special report from the Magdalene Islands Like the rest of us, Madelinots (residents of the Magdalene Islands) have also experienced a cold winter with strong winds. Contrary to recent winters, there is a lot of very thick ice in the Gulf this winter. Harp seals are whelping (giving birth) on the ice pack approximately sixty kilometres to the north west of the Islands. Tourists make their way out onto the ice pack by helicopter to contemplate the whitecoats. The "beater" hunt is set to begin around March 25. "Beaters" are young seals over 25 days old. At this stage of their development they will have already moulted and their coat will turn a silvery grey with black spots. Ice and the climate Ice conditions in the Gulf have an influence on the temperature of air masses. When ice cover is minimal, water, which is warmer than air in winter, gives off heat. When ice cover is more generalized, this heat transfer is impossible and the air remains cold. This brings us to a peculiar phenomenon: the Tadoussac polynya. Polynyas are ice-free zones in territories that are generally covered in ice. Polynyas are usually found in the Arctic, however there is one in the Estuary, more specifically in the Rouge Island sector at the mouth of the Saguenay. Ice does not form here due to special oceanographic conditions that include strong currents and a deep-water upwelling. Consequently, air temperature is much higher. This zone is also a "cloud factory". A column of vapour rises from the surface, like a chimney, and clouds are formed, resulting in heavy snowfall on the adjacent South Shore. This is a boon for the ski industry. Thus, the deep water upwelling that takes place at the head of the Laurentian Channel not only has an effect on the productivity of the water, the krill, the fish and the whales, but also on skiers! [Special thanks to François Saucier, researcher at the Maurice-Lamontagne Institute] 13 March 2003, vol. 7 no10 The Disappearing Tide Will the fictional film La Turbulence des fluides become a reality? On February 12, the Canadian Hydrographic Service’s (Fisheries and Oceans Canada) tide graph at Rivière-au-Renard registered a very rare phenomenon. A high tide cycle failed to occur! In its stead there was a major drop in water level; it dropped lower than low tide! The sea remained at slack water for more than 6 hours before rising for the next high tide. Slack water generally lasts for between 30 and 60 minutes. Hydrographers of the Canadian Hydrographic Service at the Maurice Lamontagne Institute were able to explain the situation. Theoretically the tide took place since the lunar attraction was present as usual. However, it was conteracted by meteorological conditions. At the time, a particularly strong low-pressure system was moving over Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. This created a vacuum, or suction, and water from the Gulf of St. Lawrence was in a sense "sucked up". There was therefore less water available for the tide in the St. Lawrence. Areas with minimal tidal range were left high and dry, so to speak, while areas with a broader tidal range did experience high tide, but it was not nearly as high as predicted. A very rare and fascinating phenomena! [Special thanks to Karina Laberge and Bernard Labrecque, MLI] 20 March 2003, vol. 7 no11 Cawing Crows and a Bored Seal? This week our observers noted a few signs of spring. Ice is flowing out of the Saguenay and the St. Lawrence and crows are cawing in their raucous voices recalling the warm season. For their part, our correspondents in Gaspésie felt the snow and the wind. They received another good dose of winter. A blue whale was spotted near Gallix last week. Two belugas were spotted on March 9 off Les Bergeronnes. There were also small groups of harp seals here and there. Two observers were walking near the mouth of the Saguenay where they spotted a seal (probably a harbour seal) resting on a rock. It was lying on its side, its body arced, and it was comically scratching its belly with a flipper. Barrow’s Goldeneye Several Barrow’s goldeneyes have arrived in Tadoussac Bay in recent weeks. The Estuary is an essential habitat for this species in winter. In summer, they disperse onto their nesting habitats: lakes of the Laurentian Plateau between Tadoussac and Mingan. The nesting of this duck in the province of Quebec was only confirmed as recently as 1998 with the help of satellite tracking by the Canadian Wildlife Service. The Barrow’s goldeneye was listed as species of special concern by the COSEWIC (Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada). The Eastern Canada population is limited to less than 2000 animals. The male is black and white with purple highlights on the head and a crescent shaped mark near the eye. The female is grey in colour with a brown velour textured head and an orange coloured beak. A magnificent bird! 27 March 2003, vol. 7 no12 A North Shore Legend: The Sea Serpent Even in recent years, old-timers from the Havre (Havre-Saint-Pierre) have occasionally been known to ask tourists as they disembark: "So! Did you see the sea serpent?" It was in 1936 that fishermen reported a sea serpent sighting near Moisie. Black bumps broke the surface of the water, the animal was blowing forward through its mouth and it had a tail in the shape of a two-pronged anchor. It was somewhere around two hundred feet long. A sea serpent was also spotted in the Sept-Îles area in 1934. (Reference: Sept-Îles racontée, relevé d’enquête ethnographique by Gilles Landry) Several decades earlier near Pointe-des-Monts, in the winter of 1884-1885, a sea serpent was also encountered on several occasions. The fish, measuring around 100 feet long and 4 feet wide, floated often at the surface, seemingly warming itself in the sun. It was even known to leap out of the water. (Reference: Un serpent de mer "idédit", in the November 1895 edition of Le naturaliste canadien) Was it a whale, a shark or a true sea serpent? You decide. [Special thanks to Guy Côté] Blue, white and gulls The whale season has truly begun for our observers in the Sept-Îles area. On Saturday, March 22, they watched five blue whales for over four hours. The whales were surface feeding one nautical mile from Jambon Point. On the same day, an observer from Tadoussac noticed two white backs shining at the surface near the Prince Shoal lighthouse. Now is the time of year when belugas return to their summer headquarters. A few more were also spotted at Les Bergeronnes and at Les Escoumins. Also, on March 26, observers saw a group of belugas swimming up the Saguenay for the first time this season. At Percé, black-legged kittiwakes have arrived! Cormorants and gulls are bustling about the Rocher Percé as they get ready to start building their nests. 3 April 2003, vol. 7 no13 Meeting the Blue Whale On April 1, a crab fisherman from Les Escoumins spotted a blue whale five and a half nautical miles off Rimouski. On the same day, an observer from Percé also reported a blue whale swimming near the shore. Our two collaborators assured us that these were not April fool’s day jokes! On the morning of March 30, the five blue whales spotted last week in the Sept-Îles region were still there. They were feeding in Sainte-Marguerite Bay. The blue whale was designated an endangered species by COSEWIC (Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada) in May of 2002. The St. Lawrence is one of the few places in the world where it can be observed from land; we’re very fortunate! Our observer from the Sept-Îles area also spotted blows in the distance that resembling those of fin whales. However, he was not able to confirm this. We are starting to get a sense of the impatience of those who hear the call of the sea and are anxious to put their boats back on the water to confirm what they see from land. As for birds, the ring-billed gulls are back with their familiar cries. 10 April 2003, vol. 7 no14 The Official Return of the Belugas Beluga sightings have multiplied in the Estuary in recent days. Several individuals have been seen regularly off Les Bergeronnes. At the mouth of the Saguenay, white backs have been reported near Prince Shoal and a small group of belugas with a young one was seen at Pointe-Noire. On Tuesday, April 8, one of our collaborators spotted around fifty belugas leaving the Saguenay. There were young animals in the group. Belugas have officially returned to their summer headquarters that extend from Coudres Island to Forestville. As for the large rorqual whales, blows were spotted on Friday, April 4, at Mistassini Point, an animal was seen off Franquelin on Wednesday, April 9, and three off Mistassini Point the same day. There was an unidentified whale directly off Manicouagan Point on Monday, April 7. Northern gannets have arrived on Bonaventure Island near Percé. All along the St. Lawrence the question is the same: who will see the first minke whale? 17 April 2003, vol. 7 no15 News from the Peninsula An observer from Gaspé Bay reported his first sighting of the season. It took place at Cap-aux-Os on the morning of April 4 and it was a … humpback whale! This week several large blows were spotted off Plate Island in the same area. Two blue whales were seen off Cap-des-Rosiers on the morning of April 11. No whales have been sighted at Percé, however eider ducks have been seen travelling between sea and sky. Further Upstream There have been reports once again this week of belugas further upstream in the St. Lawrence, near the mouth of the Saguenay. Pairs of eider ducks have been seen swimming near the shore. A small group of brants has stopped over at Islet Point. Contemplative observers are surprised by great blue herons, while the odd Canada goose reminds them that even further upstream it’s the season for large gatherings. At Tourmente Cape, on the shores of St. Pierre Lake and elsewhere, thousands of Canada geese and snow geese are charming nature lovers. Springtime flights and concerts are on the programme. 24 April 2003, vol. 7 no16 First Outings of the Season For the first time this season our observer from the Sept-Îles area ventured out to sea. There he encountered five blue whales on Friday, April 18, along with grey seals, northern gannets, eider duck pairs, black-legged kittiwakes and razorbills. Life springing forth in great profusion! Again, while at sea, he spotted around fifty harp seals and at least nine blue whales on Sunday, April 20. Some of the whales were sporting injuries likely caused by the abundant ice of this past winter. One of the whales had a deep cut in its rostrum and was dragging rope from fishing gear, visible behind its blowhole. Our observer also noted that scoters have arrived. On Tuesday, April 22, two blue whales were about a kilometre from his house in Gallix. From the Road, from the Shore On Tuesday, April 22, the blow of a great whale was seen at Mistassini Point. Large rorqual-type whales were spotted from highway 138 between Baie-Comeau and Franquelin. That same day at Percé two blue whales could be seen from shore, very near Bonaventure Island. Had these giants of the sea come forward to mark Earth Day? Belugas are swimming off Les Escoumins, Les Bergeronnes and near Tadoussac. 1st May 2003, vol. 7 no17 First Minke and Fin Whales While fishing between Sept-Îles and Havre-Saint-Pierre on Thursday, April 24, the crew of a shrimp boat spotted four minke whales and five fin whales. The whales appeared to be feeding in a patch of shrimp. These are the first recorded sightings of these two species this season. Then, on Saturday, April 26, a minke whale was reported east of Les Escoumins Bay. Three or four minke whales have been seen wandering around the area since then. A minke whale was even spotted swimming at the mouth of the Saguenay late on the morning of April 30. Was this whale getting reacquainted with familiar hunting territory? Observers on the water also spotted a large blow five and a half nautical miles off Les Bergeronnes. They were not able to determine if it was a fin whale or a blue whale. This is good news; some observers were starting to get worried. As a matter of fact, compared with Aprils past, there have been few whale sightings this past month. Then again, between April 8 and 14, a passenger aboard the Nordik Express spotted several non-identified rorqual-type whales off the coasts of Gaspésie and Anticosti as well as while leaving the port at Sept-Îles. Fog and Birds Our observers from Gaspésie were not blessed with great conditions for sea-gazing; there was a fair amount of rain and fog last week. Yet, they did manage to spot a few blows over the weekend. As for birds, scoters and harlequin ducks are present in Gaspé Bay, along with a king eider. Elsewhere in the St. Lawrence there are a good number of eider ducks and oldsquaws, along with scoters, cormorants and numerous flights of brants in the Estuary. 8 May 2003, vol. 7 no18 The Buoys of Summer The Canadian Coast Guard has been working hard since mid-April to redeploy summer buoys throughout the St. Lawrence. The summer buoys had been replaced by winter buoys, known as spars, last November. Spars are designed to better withstand ice. Not as numerous as the summer buoys, they are used to demarcate the main channels used in winter. The summer buoys were stored in Québec City and Sorel over the winter where they underwent annual maintenance. The task of returning the buoys to the River is gargantuan. It began upstream at St. Louis Lake, west of Montreal, and will end at Blanc-Sablon. Operations are taking place at Coudres Island this week. One vessel will also be working in the Sept-Îles–Baie-Comeau area, while another is on its way to Chaleurs Bay. Work in these areas will be completed by the end of May, with the possible exception of the far eastern portion of the Lower North Shore where ice is still present. Operations were postponed for a good two weeks this year due to impressive amount of ice, remnants of a rough winter. The vessels involved in deploying the buoys are the Martha L. Black, the George R. Pearkes, the Tracy, the Ile Saint-Ours, and the two hovercrafts Waban-Aki and Sipu Muin. [Special thanks to Herman Goulet of the Canadian Coast Guard] The Capelin is Rolling Every year capelin spawn between the months of May and July all along the North Shore, the shores of the Charlevoix region and the coasts of Gaspésie. The capelin "roll" on the beaches as they spawn. Riverside residents take advantage of this behaviour to scoop up this delicious fish by the bucketful, sharing the resource with whales and birds. Capelin is rolling early this spring. It is already being collected in the Charlevoix region at places such as Coudres Island. Very dense schools were spotted along the water’s edge at Les Escoumins as early as the end of April. Spawning dates and quantities of capelin vary greatly from one year to the next. What influences these variables, as well as why the fish choose certain beaches over others, remain mysteries. Fisheries and Oceans Canada is inviting the population to participate in a study to better understand this phenomenon. Interested? Download the study form (Word document). Whale Sightings Sightings are now represented on the map (click on the icon). Note this week the presence of minke whales, fin whales in the Estuary and humpback whales in Gaspésie. A beluga whale was in the area of Port-Menier, Anticosti Island, well downstream of the habitual summer distribution area of this species where most other St. Lawrence belugas have already returned. Is this animal a rebel or just a slow poke? 15 May 2003, vol. 7 no19 First Beached Whales The first beached beluga whale of the season was reported on May 5. It was discovered at Baie-des-Rochers in the Charlevoix region. The animal had died some time before the discovery. A team was dispatched to take tissue samples. If the carcass had been fresh enough, it would have been transported to the Université de Montréal’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine where it would have undergone a post-mortem examination. The carcass recovery and sampling programme is essential for continued monitoring of the state of St. Lawrence belugas. Established by the St. Lawrence National Institute of Ecotoxicology (SLNIE), the programme is now run by Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s Maurice Lamontagne Institute. If you wish to report a beluga carcass, either beached or adrift, call GREMM at (418) 235-1999. This year their team is in charge of the call centre for marine mammals that are either dead or in trouble. On May 12, a beached whale was discovered at Pointe-à-la-Frégate in Gaspésie. It was a 15-m long fin whale. A team from the Maurice Lamontagne Institute made its way to the site, however the advanced state of decomposition of the carcass meant that they were not able to retrieve all of the required samples for research projects. Wave Jumping A minke whale jumped completely out of the water more than 20 times in a row off Tadoussac a few days ago. The wind was blowing hard and the sea was in turmoil. Why was the whale behaving in this manner? Is this a hunting technique? A way to rid itself of external parasites like lamprey eels? A mood swing? Even the experts are stumped. A minke whale was seen breaching in the same way, three times in a row, at Pointe-des-Monts. A Whale-watching Weekend Our observers at Pointe-des-Monts had quite weekend. Four blue whales were hanging out very near shore. One of them was quite a bit smaller than the others. Could it have been a calf? There were also two fin whales and four minke whales (including the one that was seen breaching). Surf scoters and common eiders covered the surface by the hundreds. The Same Taste An impressive number of arctic terns (1000 to 1500 of them) shared their meal with four or five minke whales in Les Bergeronnes Bay on May 9. These two species have the same taste! They feed mostly on small fish like capelin and sand lance. The terns capture them at the surface and occasionally dive. Early porpoises arrive in Sept-Îles Two harbour porpoises were spotted 15 nautical miles off Sept-Îles. This species is not normally seen so early in the season. Two minke whales were also sighted. Our observer also noted the presence of numerous birds. Hundreds of oldsquaw ducks were passing through, while black-legged kittiwakes, black guillemots, common murres and razorbills are all getting ready to nest in the cliffs of Corossol Island. 22 May 2003, vol. 7 no20 Tonnes of Whales Yes! Tonnes of whales! Enough to make your head spin. Several species are present throughout the St. Lawrence. They have come to take advantage of the abundant food supply available in this exceptional environment. Check out the Map of weekly sightings! Three Blue Tails and One Fin Tail Between 15 and 18 percent of all blue whales in the St. Lawrence fluke (raise their tails out of the water) as they dive. This is always an exceptional sighting. Three of this select group were spotted off Les Bergeronnes, Pointe-des-Monts and Blanchette Cove in Gaspé Bay. At least five fin whales were hanging out, often surface feeding, near shore in the Les Bergeronnes area. One of these fin whales fluked, which is exceptional behaviour for this species. Breaches Again A minke whale jumped clear out of the water 11 times near Les Bergeronnes this week, one of its colleagues performed six or seven similar breaches near the Rimouski-Forestville ferry and whale watchers bore witness to comparable minke-whale prowess in Sept-Îles. A humpback whale also leaped completely out of the water off Cap-Bon-Ami in Forillon National Park. Such exuberance! The First Sperm Whale Sighting A sperm whale was spotted at Pointe-des-Monts on Saturday and Sunday, May 17 and 18. The oblique blow, the resemblance to a floating log and the tail pointing skyward at each deep dive are all characteristics of this occasional visitor to the St. Lawrence. Our observer spotted it again on Monday, May 19, however it appeared to be much larger this time. Could it have been a second individual? Loads of Seals Large gatherings of harp seals abound these days. These groups are very active when they come to the surface, churning up the water like a washing machine. Essentially winter visitors to the St. Lawrence Estuary, harp seals are increasingly sighted in summer as well. Births of Harbour Seals It is pupping season for harbour seals. Our observer from the Gaspé area has seen several mothers with their pups in the Gaspé Bay colony. He even spotted a newborn pup with its umbilical cord still attached. Female harbour seals have also begun giving birth in the Bic Park colony. Harbour seal pups are able to enter the water mere hours after birth. The mother-pup relationship is essential, which explains why it is so important to never approach a pup on the rocks and even more important not to touch it. The mother could reject its offspring after this kind of contact. 29 May 2003, vol. 7 no21 Logging Beluga Belugas are occasionally seen floating gently at the surface, drifting with the tide. These belugas are resting. This behaviour is often referred to as "logging" in reference to their likeness to a log bobbing along at the surface of the water. People often mistakenly believe the animal to be dead. Don’t be fooled! As long as you can see its back and head, it is very much alive and it is a normal behaviour. It breaths slowly and will dive if disturbed. In the case of a drifting carcass, the dead body generally turns on its side, with a pectoral fin sticking out of the water. To report a beluga carcass, contact GREMM at the following number: (418) 235-1999. Beluga Explorers A beluga whale was spotted near Niapiskau Island in the Mingan Archipelago on Friday, May 23. This whale is quite a distance from its usual summer range. Is this the same beluga that was seen near Anticosti Island’s Port-Menier wharf three weeks ago? On Sunday, May 25, another beluga was seen far from home at Pointe-Mistassini near Franquelin (between Baie-Comeau and Pointe-des-Monts). On May 11, divers spotted a third beluga even farther downstream than the others, near the coast off Hubbards, Nova Scotia. Feeding Minkes Minke whales are often very active when feeding. They pursue schools of fish to engulf them near the surface, often leaping half way out of the water on their sides, backs or even vertically. This is truly a sight to behold: huge mouths snapping shut, distended throats full of water, ventral pleats blushing pink with the extra flow of blood as a result of the physical effort. This week, several whale watchers witnessed this very scene. Researchers at the Maurice Lamontagne Institute, for example, were amazed on Monday, May 26 by four minke whales frantically feeding within a hundred metres of the shore and wharf, from dinnertime to sunset. 5 June 2003, vol. 7 no22 The Gaspé Peninsula, a Popular Whale Destination Five humpback whales, around five blue whales (three of which fluked up their tales as they dove), two fin whales and at least a dozen minke whales made up the list of whales visible from the coves of Gaspé Bay this week. Whale watchers believe they saw Siam: a humpback whale that has been photographed by researchers in the St. Lawrence since the 1980s. It should be noted, however, that the type of coloration pattern on the ventral side of Siam’s tail is very common for this species. It is therefore very important to conduct an in-depth analysis of details for true individual identification. A humpback whale, a blue whale, two fin whales and several minke whales were also spotted all around Bonaventure Island near Percé. Northern gannets were seen diving in profusion. Krill and capelin were surely swimming just below the surface. Rowdy Humpbacks Still in Gaspé Bay, a humpback whale was breaching. Two other humpback whales were slapping their tails on the water and then breaching. This kind of behaviour is often associated with competition between male humpback whales on mating grounds. So what purpose do these demonstrations serve here on their feeding grounds? The whales could be asserting their presence, they could simply be aggressive, or it could be a hunting ploy to assemble prey in denser patches. Unfortunately, it is impossible to say for sure. Blowhole Problems? Our observer from Pointe-des-Monts is still seeing several blue whales and fin whales on a daily basis. One of the whales makes a trumpeting sound every time it breathes. Humpback whales are known to voluntarily emit similar sounds as an aggressive display, yet this behaviour has not been noted for other species of rorqual whales. Could the whale off Pointe-des-Monts have a breathing condition? A Baby Minke Whale Occasionally, young rorqual whales, likely juveniles, are seen in the St. Lawrence. They are smaller than their associates, have already been weaned and are quite independent. Much more rare is the sight of a very small young whale that is still with its mother. Sightings of this nature have been made of humpback whales in the Gulf, from time to time of fin whales, more rarely of blue whales and practically never of minke whales. Yet, at midday last Tuesday, May 27, a mother minke whale and its baby were seen swimming near Islet Point in Tadoussac for a good two hours. The young whale was really very small and stuck close to its mother. It was seen playing with a plastic bag floating on the water. 12 June 2003, vol. 7 no23 We Never Tire of It At sea or along the shore, whales were present in all areas of the maritime portion of the St. Lawrence this week. Porpoises, minke whales, fin whales, humpback whales, blue whales and even grey seals, harp seals and harbour seals abounded. There was no end to the variety! Surface feeding techniques, spectacular breaches, beautiful encounters… network collaborators all had stories to tell. Consult the Map of Weekly Sightings to get an idea of what our collaborators witnessed. However, this week, sharks stole the show. Make room for another gargantuan sea creature! Special Sighting: Greenland Sharks in Baie-Comeau! Divers spotted Greenland sharks in Baie-Comeau. Two shark specialists were on site. They have been tracking Greenland sharks for several years now. You may recall their Skalugsuak Expedition that took place two winters in a row in the Saguenay Fjord (see Whale News Network archives). Unfortunately, at the time the Greenland shark never presented itself. Evidence of its presence in the Saguenay consisted of dead specimens that had been caught by ice-fishermen several years ago. However, this time, these shark fans experienced quite an adventure. In all, there were at least four sharks: three females and one male. They were between three and four metres long (this species can grow to seven metres in length). The specialists dove with the sharks, filming them at their leisure. This shark is carnivorous, but does not attack humans. This was the first time the Greenland shark has ever been captured on film in Quebec or in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. This is a very rare event. It is believed that less than ten humans have ever observed this animal underwater in its natural environment. It is also the southernmost underwater observation on record. Previous sightings, in the Arctic, were the result of fishing or baiting. Moreover, this species of shark is usually to be found at depths that far exceed human limits for diving. It is also the first time that more than one shark has ever been seen in one dive. The specialists will return the same time next year to verify if the passage of these sharks was incidental or is a regular event. They are working for the conservation of this species. Is the St. Lawrence withholding other secrets of the kind? Marine Mammals Necrology More strandings have taken place in recent weeks. Two beluga carcasses were discovered: one in Caplan, in Chaleurs Bay, on May 17 (sampled) and one at Sainte-Flavie on May 22 (transported for necropsy examination). A minke whale carcass came ashore at Petit-Matane on May 23. It bore rope marks on its body. Could this have been the same whale that had become entangled in a fishing line a week before? A second minke whale died at Sept-Îles on May 26. It became entangled in a launch’s anchor line. A third representative of this species beached in the Magdalene Islands. It also bore rope marks. The most recent news is that of yet another minke whale beached in the Magdalene Islands. It was discovered yesterday, June 11. Fishing gear is also suspected in this death. A seal carcass was found at Petit-Matane, a harbour porpoise at Sainte-Anne-des-Monts and a grey seal at Métis. 19 June 2003, vol. 7 no24 Extraordinary Near-shore Sightings Our collaborators reported extraordinary sightings very near the shore throughout the St. Lawrence. Minke whales were feeding frenetically near wharves and marinas in Gaspé, Percé, Sept-Îles, Mingan, Les Bergeronnes, Tadoussac and Baie-Sainte-Catherine, to mention a few. Large rorqual whales also approached the shore and were regularly feeding at the surface. Humpback whales and blue whales put on quite a show at Grande-Grave, in Gaspé Bay. The great whales were also feeding, their huge maws gaping among the buoys at Les Bergeronnes. Two to three fin whales have been hanging out near Islet Point and Pointe-Noire at the entrance to the Saguenay Fjord. They even swam up the Saguenay beyond the ferries. This is an exceptional sighting. Fin whales are more commonly seen further offshore in the St. Lawrence. What are all these whales doing? They are chasing prey. Capelin, krill and other marine organisms can be seen in profusion near docks and beaches. The area is teeming with life! Sei Whales in Gaspé Bay Two sei whales may have been seen in Gaspé Bay on June 15. This is an extremely rare sighting. This species is not usually present in the St. Lawrence. The sei whale is smaller than the fin whale. In contrast to the latter, its head surfaces simultaneously with its dorsal fin and it does not arch its back as it dives. It is generally lighter in colour than the fin whale. Both sides of its lower jaw are the same colour, whereas the lower jaw of a fin whale is white on the right and dark on the left. It is nonetheless difficult to positively identify this species. This may not be the first encounter of its kind in this area. A Walrus at Cape Breton Island There is no doubt about this sighting: video footage supports it. A walrus was sunning itself on the rocks at Donkin on Cape Breton Island on Thursday, June 12. This is a very surprising event as walrus, as a species, was extirpated from the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Abundant at the beginning of colonization, it was hunted to extinction on its haul-out sites, such as the Magdalene Islands. There had not been a sighting since the beginning of the twentieth century. Then, in the 1990s, three sightings were documented based on eyewitness accounts. On October 19, 1992, the captain of a Fisheries and Oceans Canada vessel saw what he identified as a walrus off Sainte-Anne-de-Monts. On October 23, 1993, the crew of a boat spotted a walrus near Borden on Prince Edward Island. In 1996, a diver saw two walruses near Deadman’s Island, south-west of the Magdalene Islands, and crab fishermen saw three walruses in Plaisances Bay in the Magdalene Islands. There were also a few sightings in Newfoundland in the 1990s. Present day walrus populations are limited to Arctic regions. Photo, The Halifax Herald Limited 26 June 2003, vol. 7 no25 Baby Belugas June to September is the calving period for belugas. It is possible to spot numerous belugas with their young, and shortly with the first newborn calves of the year, from certain land-based observation sites like Pointe-Noire at the mouth of the Saguenay or Baie-Sainte-Marguerite in the Saguenay Fjord itself. The newborns are the colour of creamed coffee. Between the ages of one to two years they take on a deep blue-grey colour and are referred to as "bleuvets". They then turn grey for a few years and eventually white as they reach adulthood at five to seven years of age. The babies are quite comical. They shoot up out of the water beside their mothers like small, awkward rockets; they have yet to perfect the art of breathing. Other Whale Calves A humpback whale was spotted with its calf in Gaspé Bay on June 15 and 16. The calf would awkwardly bring its tail out of the water as it dove. A blue whale was also seen in Gaspé Bay with its calf on June 14. The calf was much smaller than the other blue whales and stuck close to its mother. Sightings of humpback whale cow-calf pairs are common in the Gulf, while blue whale cow-calf pairs are very rare. The Minke Whale that was a Little too Bold A minke whale was discovered half-stranded at the Mingan fishing dock. Half of its body was still in the water. It struggled furiously for several minutes before succeeding in making its way back into deeper water. It had likely followed a school of capelin just a shade too close to shore! Oof! Solitary Belugas A solitary beluga spent several days at Havre-Sainte-Pierre on the North Shore, far from its habitual summer distribution area. This is likely the same animal that was spotted at Niapiskau Island in the Mingan Archipelago at the end of May. It was quite near the wharf and was seen in the company of several minke whales. Another solitary beluga whale was spotted at Pointe-Mistassini on June 15. A similar sighting had taken place in the same area on May 25. Dolphins! Around a dozen white-beaked dolphins were seen off the cliffs of Forillon in Gaspésie. White-beaked dolphins are known to frequent the Gulf of St. Lawrence, however, they usually show up a bit later in the course of the summer. Yet, here they are, ahead of schedule. They gather in groups that sometimes number in the hundreds. 3 July 2003, vol. 7 no26 A Narwhal in Newfoundland The narwhal is typically an Arctic species. It was therefore quite a surprise when one of these whales showed up in Newfoundland, specifically in Conception Bay on the Avalon Peninsula. The whale has been in the area for the past three weeks. At first it remained close to an iceberg. It now seeks out boats, a behaviour similar to that of solitary belugas that wander astray. It is a male narwhal, estimated to be between six and eight years old. His tusk is relatively short. Residents and tourists aboard boats are requested to not seek out his company, so that he doesn’t get too used to humans, and to be vigilant in order to avoid ship strikes. More Babies A blue whale mother with calf was reported in Gaspésie two weeks ago. They resurfaced at Pointe-à-Boisvert on Sunday. The Mériscope team, which succeeded in getting a picture of the pair, also came away with a 38-minute sound recording. The two whales moved into the Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park area on Tuesday. We should soon have an idea of just who this blue whale mother is. According to MICS data, this is the thirteenth cow-calf pair to be reported in the St. Lawrence since 1978. (MICS is celebrating its 25 anniversary this coming weekend!) A female fin whale with calf was also spotted and photographed by the GREMM team near Tadoussac. Finally, a humpback whale with calf was seen at Percé. This could be the same pair that was spotted in Gaspé Bay on June 15 and 16. Seal Battle Observers witnessed a rather special scene a few days ago. Two seals were seen fighting at Sainte-Marguerite Bay in the Saguenay. Each would sink its teeth into its adversary’s neck. The battle continued for ten minutes. One of the seals then fled, leaping out of the water. Believe it or not, harbour seals can jump out of the water like dolphins. Nurseries Brown-coloured ducks can be seen from the shore accompanied by dozens of ducklings rummaging about in the tidal flats. These are eider nurseries. They are formed when several female eider ducks get together with all of their offspring. This likely helps the ducks to better protect their ducklings from predators such as the black-backed gull. Woe to he who wanders off! 10 July 2003, vol. 7 no27 Right Whale at Percé A right whale was spotted at Percé. With less than 325 individuals of this species left in the North Atlantic the right whale is considered an endangered species. Right whales have been sighted regularly in the waters around Percé since 1995. This, the first sighting of the season, was of a known female identified with the help of the North Atlantic Right Whale Catalogue. This is not the first time that Rat, as she is known, has visited the St. Lawrence. In 2001 she was even accompanied by a calf. Could her companions be on their way here as well? Excitable Porpoises Whale watchers at Sainte-Anne-de-Portneuf encountered a dozen harbour porpoises, four of which were calves. The young porpoises remained in the centre of the group with the adults all around them. They were very agitated. One adult and two of the calves leapt out of the water like dolphins. At one point the whale watchers saw the penis of one of the adults. Harbour porpoises mate and calve in spring and summer. Therefore, calving and mating can occur in the St. Lawrence. At another point in time, in the same area, porpoises were seen surfing in the wake of a boat. Action in the Estuary! There has been a great deal of surface feeding behaviour on the part of all rorqual whales present in the Tadoussac-Les Escoumins area. Huge gaping mouths emerge from the water and then close before amazed whale watchers. Patches of krill can be seen at the surface. There are sometimes as many as a dozen fin whales blowing in the same sector. Some of them are still near the entrance to the Saguenay, and even in Tadoussac Bay. Tic Tac Toe, the humpback whale presently in the area, is exhibiting rather strange behaviour. He collided several times with fin whales. He also interacted with a blue whale. As many as four blue whales have been sighted. A calf and its mother were among them. The mother was identified as King Fisher (MICS catalogue). Around thirty minke whales are also swimming about in this area. Mingan Fog Magnificent scenes unfolded in Mingan this week, despite the fog. On Friday, capelin was rolling and a dozen minke whales were surface feeding near the wharf. Around fifty grey seals were also moving along the beach at Longue-Pointe. This all took place in a spooky ambience – the animals would appear and disappear at the whim of the fog bank. On Saturday, still in the fog, a minke whale chased capelin a little too close to the edge and nearly beached itself, twice. It had to beat its tail quite vigorously in order to return to the water. This same scene took place two weeks ago at the Mingan fishing wharf. Was this an accident or could it be a new technique? 17 July 2003, vol. 7 no28 Mating Belugas On Thursday, July 10, the GREMM research team based in Tadoussac witnessed a very rare scene: beluga whales mating. Three belugas, two males and one female, were very active at the surface; the males were jostling the female, keeping her between them. At one point, one of the males bit the female’s pectoral fin. The research team witnessed everything: genital slits, penis and penetrations. The event took place near Verte Island. The observation of this behaviour lasted all afternoon, for a total of five hours, and the activity had already begun before the arrival of the research team. At the end of June last year the crew of a whale-watching vessel filmed a group of belugas engaged in sexual behaviour. Other sightings of this nature have been reported in the past, however, they are quite rare. This week, the behaviour was much more explicit. The research team managed to document the hidden side of the lives of belugas on 160 minutes of video footage along with dozens of photographs. Three Right Whales Three right whales are present off Percé. The female known as Rat is still in the area along with two other whales. During one encounter, the whales fluked up (brought their tails out of the water) at every breath instead of just at the end of a breathing sequence as they usually do. A real bonus for the whale watchers! Early in the week, Rat and another right whale were seen rubbing up close to each other. One of the two tried to get on top of the other and pushed it down with its head. Was this a mating attempt? Right whales give birth between November and March in the waters off Georgia and Florida. Curiously, they can be seen mating all year round, and not just 12 months (gestation period for this species) before the calving season. Why? No one knows for sure. Bioluminescent Kayak A kayaker relates a magical night outing. The bay was noisy with the sound of fish wriggling at the surface. Further off, the wake of the kayak lit up with silver bioluminescence, likely caused by a species of zooplankton. The kayaker managed to catch one of the luminous points in his hand. And, inevitably, the blows of minke whales, invisible on the dark sea, could be heard in the distance. At the end of the expedition, an imposing orange full moon rose over the south shore. Truly a unique sensory experience. If you are tempted by the adventure, keep in mind that caution is the key for this charming sport. Dolphins of the St. Lawrence Popular belief holds that dolphins can only be found in warm water. Yet, certain species of dolphins live in cold water. As a matter of fact, two species of these dolphins visit the St. Lawrence. A few representatives of these species were spotted this past week. Around fifteen Atlantic white-sided dolphins were sighted in the Gaspé area and around the same number of white-beaked dolphins were seen near the northern tip of Anticosti Island. These curious and playful cetaceans appear to enjoy swimming in the wakes of boats. They are often associated with large rorqual whales, probably because they share the same food source. 24 July 2003, vol. 7 no29 Cetaceans and Birds Fin whales, blue whales and humpback whales are present in several areas of the St. Lawrence. Two right whales continue to ply the waters near Percé. White-sided dolphins were spotted at Percé and off Godbout. There is a solitary beluga whale at Havre-Saint-Pierre. And, minke whales and harbour porpoises surface among the waves all along the shores. Do not forget to consult the Map of Weekly Sightings. Seabirds have also been very present. Among them were razorbills, with their formal black attire and their vertically flattened beaks, Bonaparte's gulls, with their distinguished black caps, northern gannets, diving at high speeds towards the surface and petrels, that appear to be walking on the water as they fly. An observer from Percé also spotted a manx shearwater… get out your field guides if you want to get an idea what this high-seas species looks like. If you are the least bit interested in ornithology, the St. Lawrence is a treasure trove! Pilot Whales On Tuesday, July 22, a rare sighting of a group of around thirty pilot whales took place some four miles off the Cap-des-Rosiers lighthouse in Gaspésie. Pilot whales, toothed cetaceans, members of the dolphin family, have been noted in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. They live in family groups of several dozen individuals and are known for mass strandings. They generally measure between four and five metres, but they can grow exceptionally to as much as eight metres in length. They weigh in at 2 to 3.5 tonnes. They resemble beluga whales, except that they are black and have dorsal fins! Basking Sharks A basking shark was sighted in Gaspé Bay on July 17, between Gaspé Cape and Sauvages Cove. It was slowly swimming just a quarter of a mile from the coast. Three other basking sharks were also sighted in the Mingan area. This species is regularly encountered in the St. Lawrence. It is the second largest fish in the world, after the whale shark. Basking sharks can grow to 15 metres in length and weigh as much as 5 tonnes. However, those found in the St. Lawrence are generally 8 to 10 metres long. They are harmless; they feed on plankton. Yet, an encounter with a shark is always followed by an adrenaline rush. Humpback Spies Two humpback whales are giving whale-watchers an eyeful in the Tadoussac-Les Bergeronnes area. Tic Tac Toe, a well known individual, jumped repeatedly out of the water. He is in the habit of slapping his tail and his pectoral fins on the surface, and, on occasion, has been known to imitate the sound of a trumpet with his blowholes. Tic Tac Toe and Le Souffleur, the other humpback whale in the area, spent long periods of time resting immobile at the surface, a behaviour known as "logging" in reference to a log bobbing along. They were also seen "spy-hopping": bringing their heads out of the water, bodies in a vertical position, in order to watch the whale watchers. One of the two humpbacks came up tail first. Le Souffleur was also seen swimming on its back with its belly and pectoral fins pointing skyward. These two whales have been seen together for the past two weeks. 31 July 2003, vol. 7 no30 Pilot Whales in the Estuary Although it is an exceptional sighting for the Estuary, an astute observer spotted three pilot whales between Les Bergeronnes and Tadoussac last Friday. By the time the whales had breathed three times, she was able to take note of their black colour, large dorsal fins and melon-shaped foreheads. These were definitely not harbour porpoises. Could they be members of the same group of pilot whales that was spotted in Gaspésie on July 22? Pilot whales visit the Gulf, but very rarely swim further upstream. What follows is a list of past sightings for the Estuary: forty pilot whales sighted off Les Bergeronnes in 1985, twenty pilot whales off Bic Island in 1995, one live, stranded pilot whale at Rimouski on August 16, 2002 (an attempt to return the whale to deeper water ended in it being euthanized). Whales in Minganie There be whales in Minganie! Seven humpback whales arrived here last week. Two cow-calf pairs and a juvenile were among them. Around ten fin whales and ten minke whales, along with hundreds of harbour porpoises are in the area. Around fifteen white-sided dolphins were also present. Northern gannets and Wilson's storm-petrels are seen off shore and in the Mingan Islands. Black guillemots and the incomparable atlantic puffins, also known as sea parrots, are seen near Perroquets Island. The Busy Tip of the Peninsula Some fifteen fin whales and several minke whales have been reported in the Percé area. Whale watchers sailing out into the fog chanced across three right whales that have been present in the area for several weeks already. One of the whales jumped completely out of the water three times. Another one was slapping the surface with its pectoral fin. A basking shark was also sighted. Five or six blue whales, four minke whales, two fin whales, a humpback whale and a group of around 250 Atlantic white-sided dolphins were spotted off Gaspé, not to mention the dozens of harbour porpoises that were also present throughout the area. Sleeping with Minke Whales Minke whales swim very near the rocks at Pointe-des-Monts. Campers, that pitch their tents between the sea and the forest, fall asleep to the sound of their blows. Harbour porpoises also pass furtively near the shore. There are dozens of enchanting areas such as this one all along the St. Lawrence where it is possible to discover the coastal habits of certain whales. Death at Sea Here is a list of strandings that have taken place in recent weeks. On June 13, a beluga carcass was found at Saint-Ulric-de-Matane and was transported to the Veterinary Medicine Institute at Saint-Hyacinthe for a necropsy. On July 7, a beluga was found on a beach near Sept-Îles. Several samples were extracted from the carcass. On July 8, another beluga carcass was discovered at Saint-Ulric-de-Matane, samples were taken. On July 23, a new-born beluga carcass was found at Verte Island and was transported to Saint-Hyacinthe. On July 7, a dead minke whale was drifting off Forestville. It was towed to land where samples were taken from the carcass. On July 23, the relatively decomposed carcass of a fin whale drifted to the foot of a cliff at Anse-à Beaufils near Percé. It turned out to be a 17-m long male. A dozen seals were also reported dead along the shores of the St. Lawrence along with three harbour porpoises, one at Pointe-aux-Outardes, one at Sept-Îles and one at Cap-des-Rosiers. 7 August 2003, vol. 7 no31 A Sociable Beluga Whale A wayward beluga whale had adopted the Havre-Saint-Pierre region on the Middle North Shore for the past three weeks. It had already been seen for several days in June. Most recently it would stay close to docks and boats and would seek out physical contact with humans. Solitary belugas often develop this type of behaviour. This may seem quite charming at first, but don’t be fooled. The whales can lose their ability to survive in their natural habitat. No longer wary of the human elements present in their habitat, they often become victims of ship strikes. The last time this beluga was seen, it was swimming west. Will it make its way back to its habitual territory? We certainly hope so. Five Sperm Whales The sperm whale often calls up images of Moby Dick, the abyss and giant squid. However, few people are aware that sperm whales occasionally visit the St. Lawrence. Last Friday off Tadoussac no less than five sperm whales made their appearance in the fog. They were re-sighted further to the east on Saturday. Photographs were taken, but the whales did not seem to be in the mood to show their tails. This portion of the body is necessary for the identification of individual animals of this species. The photographic catalogue of sperm whales that have visited the Estuary presently includes 21 individuals. Were these five already in the catalogue, or were they new arrivals? Big Fish Basking sharks have been reported in several areas this week. Two were seen at Percé, one in Gaspé Bay and two off Sainte-Anne-des-Monts. An observer from Percé recalls her encounter with one of these mastodons. It was very large, probably as much as ten metres in length. It was swimming near the boat just below the surface. She saw it through the water. That same day, she had spotted four tuna fish. That’s right! Atlantic bluefin tuna visit the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence. There is even a tuna fishery, with quota of approximately 620 t this year. This fish is as big as a dolphin. It measures between two and three metres long and can weigh 200 kg. And what does our collaborator have to say about her experience? It’s a far cry from canned tuna! Ten Times the Largest Animal in the World A blue whale: a loud blow that rises up in a vapour column seen in the distance, a grey-blue back, the colour of the sea, that breaks and glides across the surface, a proportionately minuscule dorsal fin and, sometimes, the tail pointing to the sky indicate that it is here. Ten blue whales are now present off Sainte-Anne-de-Portneuf. Imagine… ten times the largest animal in the world! Each of them measures nearly 25 m in length and weighs a hundred tonnes. Blue whales can be sighted throughout the St. Lawrence. In fact, this is one of the few places in the world where they can be seen so close to shore. At several sites, blue whales pass by very near the shore and we can observe them without ever leaving dry land. A rare opportunity indeed. 14 August 2003, vol. 7 no32 Harbour Porpoises Harbour porpoises are present throughout the St. Lawrence. Their small, dark backs and dorsal fins appear and disappear very quickly at the surface. They betray their presence, even in dense fog, by their discreet breathing. Many yearlings have been seen with the adults. One wale watcher from Tadoussac witnessed a rather odd event: a porpoise, while keeping its head just at the surface, was breathing insistently and repetitively. Was it choking? Was it trying to rid itself of something caught in its blowhole? The Northwest Atlantic harbour porpoise population recently changed status. From "endangered", a status attributed in 1990, it has since been classified as "of special concern", which means that it is considered to be less at risk. The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) has determined that fewer harbour porpoises are dying of accidental entanglement. A Second Blue Whale Calf Several whale watchers have confirmed that a second blue whale calf is present in the Les Escoumins to Forestville portion of the Estuary. According to MICS data, this is the fourteenth cow-calf pair to be reported in the St. Lawrence since 1978. Two very rare calves in the same summer! This is good news for the Northwest Atlantic blue whale population, which was classified as "endangered" in 2002. A team of MICS researchers is presently posted at Sainte-Anne-de-Portneuf and will surely be able to identify the mother. As for the first blue whale calf, sighted in late June, it is still present in the area with its mother, King Fisher. The Mériscope research team has succeeded in making a second sound recording of this pair. In all, around ten blue whales have been sighted in this region and several fin whales are also present, including a cow-calf pair. Searching for the Right Whale A team of researchers is covering the Percé region this week in an attempt to document the presence of right whales. The number of these rare whales visiting this area has been on the rise in recent years. Along with his team from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution of Massachusetts, Michael Moore is sailing aboard the Rosita. They are criss-crossing the area using binoculars and hydrophones to search for whales. If they find any whales, they will take pictures that will be analyzed at the New England Aquarium (Massachusetts) and integrated into the photo-identification catalogue of the right whales of the North Atlantic. So far they have not sighted a single right whale. To anyone in the area: if you encounter a right whale, do not hesitate to contact this research team. Spectacular Shows and Curious Young Whale Numerous are the whales in the Mingan sector. Among them are approximately fifteen humpback whales, three of them with calves. These animals put on quite a show. They slap their pectoral fins and tails against the surface. They leap out of the water head first, and sometimes tail first. Yet, researchers are always at a loss to explain the reasons behind this type of exuberant behaviour. A good twenty fin whales are also in this same area, two cow-calf pairs among them. One of the calves, which is quite curious, swam up to the research boats while its mother was diving. It was a 10-m to 12-m long baby that swam around the researchers. Young animals frequently exhibit more daring behaviour than adults do. They often investigate boats, making for unforgettable encounters! 21 August 2003, vol. 7 no33 The Voyage of the Humpback Whales Two well-known humpback whales, Tic Tac Toe and Le Souffleur, spent several weeks in July and August in the Tadoussac-Les Escoumins area. They were spotted there once again on August 6. Then, on August 7, they were sighted off Sainte-Anne-de-Portneuf. A few days later, on August 12 and 13, they were impressing whale watchers in Mingan with their spectacular behaviour. MICS researchers managed to extract a biopsy sample from Tic Tac Toe, which will allow them to determine gender. On Sunday, August 17, the two whales had returned to Les Escoumins. A ten-day return trip! What is behind these peregrinations? Whales often have a lot to gain by exploring different feeding grounds. Cuddly Right Whales Two right whales were sighted on the morning of Wednesday, August 20 off Percé. They were cuddling; one of them laying its head on the other. They rolled over and over and waved their pectoral fins in the air. This went on for an hour or so. While not necessarily mating, this type of behaviour is very likely related to reproduction, however, scientists do not understand the precise function. Ocean Sunfish An ocean sunfish was sighted off Les Bergeronnes on Sunday, August 17. The Latin name for this fish is Mola mola. It has an oval-shaped body with a large dorsal fin and a large anal fin, but no caudal fin. It generally measures between 1 m and 1.5 m in length and weighs around 100 kg to 200 kg. Certain specimens have grown to 3.4 m in length and 900 kg. It is often seen sunning itself at the surface, whence its name. This species is reported now and then in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, rarely in the Estuary. A Cruise in the Islands The whale-watching season is in full swing in Sept-Îles. This week, there was a humpback whale right in the middle of Sept-Îles Bay. Six fin whales, a cow-calf pair among them, were present further offshore. Minke whales and harbour porpoises were also spotted in the Bay and in the Sept-Îles Archipelago. The seven islands (sept îles in French) that gave the city its name are Grosse Boule, Petite Boule, Grande Basque, Petite Basque, Manowin, Dequen Islets and Corossol. Each island has its own unique history… and treasures. For example, Corossol Island is a Migratory Bird Sanctuary; many species of marine birds nest there (black-legged kittiwakes, Leach’s storm-petrels, razorbills et several others). Screaming in the Wind Seals are not referred to as "loups marins" (sea wolves in English) for nothing. This name is probably derived from the grey seal. One of our observers recently had the good fortune to witness this. Hundreds of grey seals had hauled out in the Bic islands and were howling. Their cries brought to mind wolves, then dogs, then children screaming, …"a true horror movie" according to her. In the water, on the other hand, the seals do not make noise. Grey seals can be seen throughout the St. Lawrence. Their massive heads rise above the surface, they see us, observe us and then dive below the waves. 28 August 2003, vol. 7 no34 Whales and Astronomy To watch a whale surface in the reflection of the moon is in itself quite a magnificent experience. However, our observers actually saw the back of a minke whale glide through the water in the reflection of Mars. What a sight! The night of August 18 was a memorable one for night-time whale watchers. It was calm; the only wind was the blow of the whales. The relatively quiet breathing of dozens of harbour porpoises could be heard, harmonizing with the blows of a few minke whales. The sound of great whale blows further offshore carried over the waves. This was punctuated by the out-of-breath exhalations of grey seals returning to the surface after long dives. A thousand and one stars filled the clear night sky. The Milky Way crossed the firmament. The orange moon rose like the partially eaten section of an orange. The northern lights began swaying turquoise curtains across the sky as an encore. Absolutely beautiful! Nocturne and the Others Nocturne is a female humpback whale with a rather odd way of behaving. Frequently seen in the Mingan area, she has often approached boats of her own accord, as if to see what they were up to. Last week, during an encounter with the MICS team, she rubbed the hull and displayed her pectoral fins over the boat on several occasions. She also brought her head out of the water within centimetres of the boat and observed the occupants. Other humpback whales also behaved in the same manner and even leapt completely out of the water and smacked their pectoral fins and tails against the water’s surface. "A veritable ballet!" according to our observer. What a spectacular species! In all, some thirty humpback whales are now present in the area, along with numerous fin whales, minke whales, harbour porpoises, white-sided dolphins, seals and northern gannets. A Change of Scenery or The Rock Falls Scenery is as much an integral part of excursions as are whales and birds. Percé Rock (le Rocher Percé) is the most important part of the Percé landscape. Those who are used to seeing it will notice a slight change. One hundred tonnes of rocks fell from the ceiling of the hole in Percé Rock on Friday night. This was likely caused by the heavy rains of the past few weeks. Percé Rock used to have two holes in it. On June 17, 1845, the arcade of one of the holes collapsed, isolating a portion of the monument at its extremity. This portion has since been referred to as the obelisk. Visitors, watch your heads! Strandings A live new-born beluga whale came ashore at Sainte-Luce on July 30. After an attempt to return it to deeper water, the rescue team had to euthanized the animal. Without its mother, it was bound to die. The carcass of a beluga whale was discovered in Bic Provincial Park on August 12. It was transported to the University of Montreal’s Veterinary Medicine Faculty at Saint-Hyacinthe for a post -mortem examination. Another carcass was discovered at Baie-des-sables on August 25. Due to the advanced state of decomposition, only samples were taken. Four beached harbour porpoises have been reported recently: one at Sept-Îles on August 1, one at Les Escoumins on August 9, one at Pointe-au-Père on August 12 and one at Cacouna on August 26. The sea also rejected seal carcasses: one at Orleans Island on August 6, one at Sainte-Luce on August 16, one at Cap-Chat on August 20 and one at Sainte-Flavie on August 27. 4 September 2003, vol. 7 no35 In the Charlevoix Region Groups of beluga whales are part of the Charlevoix seascape, along with numerous minke whales and harbour porpoises. Recently, several fin whales have also been visiting this area. From two to five of them have been spotted at Tête-au-Chien Cape, Saint-Siméon, Port-au-Persil and even Cap-à-l’Aigle and Pointe-aux-Pic. Stranded Sunfish Do you recall the sighting of a rare ocean sunfish off Les Bergeronnes reported last August 17? Well, on Monday, September 1, a dead sunfish was found on the beach at Sainte-Luce on the South Shore. On Wednesday, September 3, another specimen was found further downstream at Cap-Chat in Gaspésie. The rear portion of this fish’s body does not terminate in a classic fish tail. Instead, it is curtailed in a roughly scalloped semicircular shape. Witnesses on the scenes of these strandings describe this characteristic tail shape as resembling the crimped edge of a piecrust or the petals of a flower. This pelagic fish can be found in the waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, however, its presence in the Estuary is somewhat rare. In September 1997, two sunfish came ashore on the beach at Pointe-au Père. Puyjalon The MICS team continues to spot plenty of whales, especially in the Puyjalon area north of Anticosti Island. Around fifteen humpback whales are in this region. Researchers recognized several individuals including Circée, Brax, Fleuret, Stratus, whom they hadn’t encountered since 1998, and Siam, sighted earlier in the season in the Estuary. Over twenty fin whales were also present along with minke whales and harbour porpoises. Some 140 white-beaked dolphins were sighted as well. This species is not as common as the white-sided dolphin. As it turns out, around 150 white-sided dolphins are present in Gaspésie. All of these sightings took place on rolling seas and in rather difficult conditions. Leeches or Vampires? Long, dark shapes can occasionally be seen hanging from the flanks of certain whales. These are lampreys. This parasitic, primitive fish resembling an eel attaches itself to its host by its mouth and sucks blood like a leech or a vampire, whichever image you prefer. Yet, lampreys do not represent a serious threat to whales. In the St. Lawrence, they have already been found on minke whales, fin whales, blue whales and even beluga whales. 11 September 2003, vol. 7 no36 Exceptional Visitors Whale watchers spotted a couple of strange cetaceans between Les Escoumins and Les Bergeronnes last week. About the same size and shape as beluga whales, the bodies of these exceptional visitors are covered with dark grey spots. Could they be narwhals? Numerous experienced whale watchers have confirmed the presence of this Arctic species in our waters. The two animals that were seen last week did not have the long tusks characteristic of male narwhals. Some witnesses have stated that they believe these two to be was a cow-calf pair. Photographs taken by one of the whale watchers were not sufficiently clear to confirm the species of these cetaceans. The whales have a very light blow and are quite discreet. Every time they were spotted the encounter was very brief and subsequent attempts to find them were unsuccessful. Therefore, there are no good pictures of these mysterious cetaceans. Great Gatherings There is an incredible number of whales in the Anticosti-Mingan area. The MICS research team has counted approximately 50 humpback whales and 70 fin whales. The whales are concentrated in Jacques Cartier Straight, along the Anticosti Coast, off the Puyjalon cliffs. Leaving from Mingan, the research team must travel for two hours just to get to this sector. Once on site, however, members of the research team have trouble deciding where to go next; they are surrounded by blows! Three quarters of the humpback whales encountered have been identified. Tingley, Illusion, Splish, Corona, Koudou, Dipper and Quartz are but a few of the animals present. There are six humpback whale cow-calf pairs among them. For over an hour Stalagmite put on quite a show near one of the boats. Other species are also present in impressive numbers. There are dozens of minke whales, hundreds of harbour porpoises and white-sided dolphins and a few harbour seals that investigated the research boat. Sperm Whale Beached at Anse-à-Valleau A sperm whale came ashore on the afternoon of Tuesday, September 9 at Anse-à-Valleau in Gaspésie. It is a 13-m long male. The whale appears to have died a few days before it beached. Fortunately, it is not the well-known Tryphon, a regular visitor to the St. Lawrence Estuary since 1991. Is it another known individual? The photographic catalogue of sperm whales that have visited the St. Lawrence is comprised of 21 individuals. The tail of the beached sperm whale has marks that could be used to identify it if it is already among the whales included in the catalogue. The impressive carcass will be carved up on site by a team from GREMM assisted by Pierre-Henry Fontaine. The bones will be recovered and, after cleaning, the skeleton will be reassembled for educational purposes in the Marine Mammal Interpretation Centre in Tadoussac. An honourable end for this giant of the seas. Dolphins, Dolphins Everywhere Approximately 300 white-sided dolphins were spotted at Sainte-Anne-de-Portneuf on Monday, September 8. A dozen of these dolphins were also spotted from the Forestville-Rimouski ferry and several dozens more were reported at Percé and Gaspé. Also, as mentioned, numerous representatives of this species were encountered in the Mingan area. An error occurred in last week’s bulletin: there were approximately 140 white-sided dolphins in the Mingan area, not 140 white-beaked dolphins. 18 September 2003, vol. 7 no37 Newborns Whale watchers have sighted a newborn beluga whale off Rivière-du-Loup. The young animal was seen swimming with a group of three or four adults and a juvenile and, according to witnesses, it was only a few hours old. Newborns can be recognized by foetal folds, which are still visible on their bodies. Starting out in life, they appear quite awkward when they come up to breathe. An adult was pushing the young whale to the surface during this recent sighting. Was this a form of assistance or social contact? One whale watcher off Tadoussac spotted four mothers with their young calves swimming in a line. All four young belugas were born this summer, as evidenced by their light brown, café-au-lait colour. The calving period for beluga whales is from June to September. Exceptional Visitors (the sequel) There have been more sightings of what are believed to be two narwhals in the Les Bergeronnes area. Eyewitness accounts describe the animals as being dark grey with darker zones. This coloration corresponds to that of juvenile narwhals; adults are generally lighter. We are still hoping to obtain photographs in order to confirm the identification of these cetaceans. Unknown Sperm Whale As it turns out, the sperm whale that was found beached at Anse-à-Valleau was not a known animal. GREMM researchers attempted to identify it by way of markings on its tail. However, the whale in question is not on file in the catalogue of sperm whales that have visited the St. Lawrence; neither is it one of the sperm whales that has visited the Atlantic Coast of Nova Scotia (Hal Whitehead, Dalhousie University). Rare Fin Whale Fin whales do not usually fluke up as they dive. Yet, in Gaspé, among numerous other rorqual whales and harbour porpoises, whale watchers have recently had the rare treat of seeing the tail of a fin whale break the surface each time one particular animal dives. Could this be due to the animal’s handicap? Apparently this individual is missing part of its left tail fluke. It has been sighted in years past. Several other fin whales with similar injuries have also been photographed in the St. Lawrence over the years. Fin whales, with tails entirely intact, have also been known to bring their tails out of the water as they dive. Jumping Seals Around twenty harbour seals have been hanging around at the mouth of the Sainte-Anne-de-Portneuf River. They have been putting on quite a comical show for spectators: jumping completely out of the water like porpoises and dolphins. Due to the fact that their bodies are shaped differently, this manoeuvre is not as natural, nor as graceful, as it is for cetaceans. This is not the first time these seals have been seen behaving in this way. Why the acrobatics? It could be a game, especially among younger seals. It could also be a way of moving faster, as is believed to be the case for porpoises and dolphins. Seals have been known to leap when pursued. Harp seals and grey seals have also been known to behave in a similar manner. 25 September 2003, vol. 7 no38 A Sociable Beluga at Havre-Saint-Pierre A sociable beluga whale has been visiting the Havre-Saint-Pierre marina. Could this be the same whale that spent time here this past summer? The wayward beluga approaches boats, behaviour that could lead to an unfortunate accident. Park wardens from the Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve of Canada have been warning pleasure boaters and fishermen not to approach or to try to tame the whale. Whales in Motion MICS researchers have been to sea several times this week and have noted a change in whale distribution. Around thirty humpback whales and twenty fin whales were still in the area a few days ago. However, they had moved west along the portion of Anticosti Island that faces Niapiskau Island, deserting the Puyjalon area. The researchers encountered very few large rorqual whales in the days that followed. Apparently these whales had left the area. Had they gone east or west? Where had they dispersed to? While that remains a mystery, numerous harbour porpoises, minke whales and seals are still present in the area. Approximately 155 white-sided dolphins were also spotted on September 19. An Impressive Beast! One whale watcher reported his impressions of an encounter he had with a grey seal off Rimouski. It was a large seal and it stretched length of its body at the surface and remained there for a good minute, breathing in the cool offshore air. The grey seal is the largest species of seal in the St. Lawrence. It measures from 2 m to 2.4 m and weighs between 225 kg and 300 kg, up to 450 kg. Quite an impressive beast! Duck Hunting Some of our whale watchers heard the sound of shots being fired near the shore this past week. The annual hunt of migratory birds started last Saturday, September 20 and will continue through to December 26. This hunt is carried out all along the St. Lawrence and targets all Anatid species (ducks and geese) with the exception of the harlequin duck. There will also be a ban on hunting of the Barrow’s goldeneye and the common goldeneye in the Estuary (provincial hunting zone 21) starting October 21. The ban is aimed at protecting the Barrow’s goldeneye. Hunters must respect daily hunting limits and possession limits, which vary according to bird categories. All hunters must also have in their possession a federal permit from Environment Canada and a provincial permit from the FAPAQ. 2 October 2003, vol. 7 no39 In Gaspé and Percé In Gaspé and Percé several cruise operators have ceased their activities. Whales of the area, on the other hand, have not. Last week three fin whales, two humpback whales, two blue whales, a minke whale, some fifty harbour porpoises and around two hundred white-sided dolphins were concentrated in only one square kilometre at the entrance to Gaspé Bay. All four species of rorqual whales–fin, blue, humpback and minke–could still be observed this week. One humpback whale was even spotted breaching near the Grande-Grave wharf. Around a dozen dolphins swam by Cap-aux-Os. Apparently all of these cetaceans were following capelin into the bay. The four species of rorqual whales were also seen at Percé, including a female humpback whale with her calf and around fifty harbour porpoises. Full of Life The Prince Shoal lighthouse stood out against an overcast sky, birds circling. Dozens upon dozens of grey seals were swimming all around, sometimes right beside the boat. At one point we spotted just the tip of a muzzle; the rest of the animal was completely submerged. And, through it all, minke whales broke the surface here and there. The animals were so close to each other that the seals appeared to be in danger of being eaten by the minke whales, or at least squished between two of them. There must have been quite a school of fish in this area. Many a whale watcher has observed this scene in recent days just off Tadoussac. From One End of the St. Lawrence to the Other Deceased harbour porpoises have come ashore recently: one at Havre-Saint-Pierre on August 28, one at Les Bergeronnes on September 1 and one at Saint-Ulric on September 9. One rare beaching was not mentioned in the Whale News Network bulletin pending confirmation. It has since been confirmed, with pictures as proof. A harbour porpoise was found dead in the Berthier Islands last June, likely a young porpoise that got lost. As with seals, occasionally certain animals, especially young ones, swim quite far upstream into the fluvial portion of the St. Lawrence. Speaking of seals, a carcass was found at Neuville on September 11 and another at Sainte-Flavie on September 16. Another seal, a live one this time, spent several weeks in the Des Prairies River at the end of the summer. It turned out to be a hooded seal. You guessed it; it was a young one. 9 October 2003, vol. 7 no40 Autumn The end of the season was a favourable one for whale watching. The weather was fine, the light was beautiful and the visibility was exceptional. The spring tides were very impressive and tide rips were stronger than usual. Several boats have made their way into dry-dock while whale-watching tour operators are slowly winding down. Certain research groups are also thinking about closing up their stations for the season. The strong winds of autumn are beginning to blow. Yet, for those who continue to adventure out onto the water or scan from shore, the whales are ever present. A Beached Humpback Whale A large whale was reported stranded at Saint-Augustin on the Lower North Shore. The whale turned out to be a male humpback whale, stretched out on its back among large rocks. Humpback whales can be individually identified by the coloration patterns on the underside of their tails. Those that visit the St. Lawrence are, for the most part, already on file in a catalogue. Ideally this whale could have been identified. Unfortunately, its skin was too worn, its coloration pattern no longer visible. Weather permitting, samples will be taken from the carcass; the whale is beached in an area accessible only by boat. White Whales in Dark Waters The Saguenay River forms part of the beluga whale’s distribution area. Groups of these white whales are often encountered swimming its dark waters. Last Sunday, observers spotted over 200 belugas moving down the Saguenay past Pointe-Noire. Several of the whales remained in the area and appeared to be feeding just below the surface. Observers were even able to discern sounds produced by the belugas above the surface. A surface-feeding minke whale and a grey seal were also in the area and, between grey clouds and patches of clear sky, two rainbows appeared over the mountains. A pretty panorama! Montreal-Newfoundland One of our observers works aboard cargo vessels and travels regularly from Montreal to Newfoundland. Fog seriously affected several of these voyages. On other trips he was able to transmit his whale sightings to us. Recently he reported humpback whales and white-sided dolphins near Newfoundland. 16 October 2003, vol. 7 no41 A very rare sighting: Two Killer Whales in the Estuary! By a magnificent Indian summer day, Saturday, October 11, two killer whales were making big waves in the Estuary. They were first seen approximately 1.25 nautical miles off the cottages in Les Bergeronnes. Whale watchers couldn’t believe their eyes! Although minke whales can sometimes be mistaken for "Willy"’s cousin, the large dorsal fin, grey saddle patch and a swimming movement similar to that of dolphins made species identification a certainty in this case. The whales were either females or juvenile male killer whales. The two predators attacked ducks, playing with their prey after the kill by throwing it in the air and hitting it with their tails. The two then moved downstream, heading towards the South Shore. Typically they would spend several minutes at the surface near the whale-watching boats before diving for around five minutes and covering a considerable distance beneath the waves. They were very active when they were at the surface: rolling over, slapping the surface with their tails, surfacing tail first and performing spinning breaches. They were also quite curious, swimming back and forth under boats and occasionally stopping to "inspect" propellers. Although killer whales are listed among the 13 cetacean species that are known to visit the St. Lawrence, they are extremely rare. Several killer whale sightings have been reported in the Gulf, more specifically in Belle-Isle Straight. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, a group of three to four of them were regularly sighted in Jacques Cartier Straight. The most recent sightings date back to 1999 when Jack Knife, the adult male of the group, was spotted alone in Gaspésie, then off Anticosti Island and Mingan. The last documented killer whale sighting in the Estuary dates back to August 15, 1982. Twenty one years after this sighting, the GREMM team, rapidly alerted by members of the whale-watching industry, has managed to record video footage and take photographs of these visitors. This documentation will be used to determine whether or not any other research group elsewhere in the Atlantic has already identified these animals. The killer whale is the most widespread cetacean species in the world, yet killer whales appear to be few in number in the North-West Atlantic and very little research has been carried out on them in this part of the world. Suffice it to say that we were very fortunate in observing these exceptional representatives of a rare population on such an ideal whale-watching day, giving us plenty of reasons to celebrate Thanksgiving this year! 23 October 2003, vol. 7 no42 Exceptional Visitors… The Conclusion The two cetaceans believed to be narwhals were briefly sighted once again several times off Cap-de-Bon-Désir. The most recent sighting dates back to September 23. Unfortunately, no photographs were taken to confirm species identification beyond a reasonable doubt. Bad luck! Despite these reliable eyewitness reports the series of narwhal sightings made between September 2 and September 23 will remain anecdotal at best due to the absence of photographs or video footage. A Breach off Cap-aux-Os A humpback whale came completely out of the water at Cap-aux-Os in Gaspé Bay last Saturday. Three actively feeding minke whales and three fin whales were also present. Our observer reports that the Bay was full of capelin. Large Rorqual, Small Porpoise, Funny Bird While at sea early in the week, our observer from Sainte-Anne-de-Portneuf encountered at least six fin whales and seven blue whales. The blue whales were particularly active. One of these mastodons heaved half of its body out of the water as if trying to crush another blue whale not far away. At another moment during the cruise one of the rorquals dove so vigorously and fast that its tail and the latter third of its body rose above the waves. Our observer stated that it was almost scary to witness this behaviour accompanied by the powerful blows of these hundred-tonne animals. Results of MICS research data has revealed that male and female blue whales tend to pair up at this time of the year. Could this dynamic behaviour be the outward manifestation of competition between males as they vie for the privilege of accompanying a female? Our observer also spotted a few porpoises, some of them surprisingly small. Porpoise calves tend to be born in the middle of summer. Were these ones born late? In conclusion, a solitary puffin was spotted among the waves, swimming in circles with its head in the water. In this comic manner, the bird was searching for prey. Puffins feed on fish that they capture beneath the surface. Sand lance and capelin are their main prey species. 30 October 2003, vol. 7 no43 Fighting Whales? Our observer from Gallix, near Sept- Îles, went to sea on October 25. He spotted three very active blue whales behaving in the same manner as the whales described by our observer from Sainte-Anne-de-Portneuf last week. Once again, the most likely hypothesis is that male whales were competing for a place next to a female. The three blue whales were surfacing aggressively; their heads, bodies, tails and fins were alternately visible above the waves, causing a lot of splashing. The animals were swimming rapidly and turning in circles. This merry-go-round lasted twenty minutes, and then the whales separated. One of the blue whales joined a fin whale and travelled with it for the rest of the day. A fourth blue whale was spotted in the area, as well as three other fin whales. Dead Whales A few weeks have gone by since the last discovery of a dead beluga whale in the St. Lawrence. On October 17, a female beluga carcass came ashore at Longue-Rive, more specifically at Baie-des-Bacon, on the North Shore. On October 22, another female beluga carcass was discovered on the shore in Rimouski. The two carcasses were taken to the University of Montreal’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Saint-Hyacinthe for post-mortem examinations. Two females that will not be able to give birth to calves and thus contribute to the recovery of their endangered population. A minke whale was found entangled in fishing gear off Sept-Îles. It likely drowned. The carcass was towed to the wharf where samples were extracted. It was then disposed of offshore in the Gulf. Five seals were also reported dead recently: one at Rivière-Ouelle on September 29, one at Kamouraska on October 7, one at Saint-Fulgence on October 9, one at Saint-Denis-de-la-Bouteillerie on October 26 and one at Matane on October 29. Pink Whales Here is a story about live whales, and very healthy ones at that! Minke whales are very active while feeding. The exertion of feeding activity warms their bodies to the point where they have to get rid of excess heat. To do this their blood is re-routed to their skin, tingeing their bellies a bright pink, like humans when exercising. Last week, our observer from Gaspé Bay spotted three of these colourful minke whales. Our collaborator from Pointe-des-Monts shared her surprise with us after witnessing a pink-coloured minke whale; it was the first time she had ever seen this phenomenon. At the mouth of the Saguenay, tour operators and their passengers also spotted numerous pink-bellied whales. 6 November 2003, vol. 7 no44 Snow Whales The St. Lawrence is wearing a winter coat of sleet and snow. The wind is blowing and so are the whales. There was a report of one humpback whale and two fin whales off Pointe-des-Monts. Groups of belugas and thousands of seabirds–various species of gulls–dotted the surface at the mouth of the Saguenay. Two fin whales were spotted off Les Bergeronnes and two blue whales were seen off Les Escoumins. Minke whales were also present at all of the fore-mentioned locations. Three Baby Blue Whales! The summer of 2003 has set a record for blue whale calf sightings in the St. Lawrence. Two blue whale calves had already been recorded this summer: King Fisher’s calf and the calf of B274. A third blue whale calf was spotted along the Gaspé coast in September accompanied by its mother, positively identified as Crinkle. Only 15 sightings of this kind have been documented by MICS since 1978. Three young calves this year is very encouraging news for the blue whale population, which is considered to be endangered. 13 November 2003, vol. 7 no45 News from All Over Our collaborator from Pointe-des-Monts spotted two or three minke whales in a tumultuous, wind-blown sea. The huge waves crashing against the rocks was a sight to behold. One of our collaborators saw a blue whale off Les Escoumins. A minke whale was reported at Cape Gaspé. The Rivière-du-Loup–Saint-Siméon ferry came across seven minke whales, five beluga whales and a dozen harbour porpoises. The Nordik Express encountered two minke whales and the solitary beluga whale at Havre-Saint-Pierre, as well as a few harbour seals near Harrington Harbour and Natashquan. The Nordik Express is the shuttle vessel that links certain North-Shore villages. The carcass of a seal was discovered at Kamouraska on November 1. The tide washed a dead harbour porpoise up onto the beach at Mont-Louis on November 10. Migrating birds of prey stole the show from the whales at the mouth of the Saguenay. Birds coming down from the north and those flying parallel to the St. Lawrence heading west converge in this area so they don’t have to cross too wide a body of water. Census takers from the Observatoire d’oiseaux de Tadoussac counted several representatives of rare species, including 21 bald eagles, 13 golden eagles and three northern goshawks on November 6. Then, on November 8, they once more spotted 21 bald eagles, four golden eagles and five northern goshawks. They also count rough-legged hawks and red-tailed hawks in the hundreds every day. 20 November 2003, vol. 7 no46 Whales and Boats A cruise from the mouth of the Saguenay to Tête au Chien Cape in the Charlevoix region revealed the presence of groups of beluga whales, a minke whale and a fin whale. The fin whale was an animal that is well known to the GREMM team: Vergetures. Two days later, a cargo vessel reported a collision in the same area with a rorqual type whale (species unconfirmed) to Escoumins Traffic Station. Members of the crew reported feeling a strong vibration in the ship’s propeller and, looking to stern, saw a large pool of blood and an injured whale. The Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park immediately organized a patrol with the Coast Guard and GREMM. However, no animal was found alive or dead. Three minke whales were also reported in Gaspé Bay this week, and a minke whale at Blanc-Sablon. Beachcombing Hikers made some interesting discoveries on St. Lawrence beaches this week. First, a man was not able to identify what type of animal had washed ashore at Coin-du-Banc, near Percé. Could it be a shark? he thought at first. No, … a sturgeon. His precise description leaves no doubt. The two-metre long fish had bony plates on its back that were "reminiscent of lace" and a marked line along the sides of its body. It had a long snout, with a small mouth and two barbels underneath. Next, a Rivière-Ouelle resident spotted a cute seal in front of his house. The animal did not flee when he approached. Was it wounded? Apparently not. The visitor turned out to be a young harp seal that had probably just arrived from a long migration. Not finding any ice on which to rest, as harp seals are wont to do, it decided to stretch out on the shore. The only precautions necessary to ensure the animal had all the rest it required were to remain at a distance and keep domestic animals on a leash. Finally, two beluga carcasses were discovered: one at Bic Park and the other at Trois-Pistoles. Samples were taken and will serve for the continued monitoring of the beluga whale population’s state of health. 27 November 2003, vol. 7 no47 Themisto here, Themisto there… everywhere Themisto Our observers from Tadoussac bore witness to an intense proliferation of life this week. It all started with the discovery of a ribbon of organisms left stranded on the beach by the tide. Our collaborators, who happen to be biologists, identified the organisms as amphipods known as Themisto libellula. These tiny crustaceans, the size of krill, have only begun showing up in the waters of the St. Lawrence in recent years. Scientists believe that they arrived here by incursions of cold water coming down from the Arctic and Labrador. [Thanks to Michel Harvey from MLI] In any case, hundreds of seabirds gathered at the mouth of the Saguenay, likely taking advantage of the abundant zooplankton. Around thirty beluga whales and four minke whales were also sighted in the area. The whole ecosystem is at work! Currents also transported "lion’s mane" jellyfish near the rocky shore: a rare sighting. Plenty of Rorqual Whales Our observers from Pointe-des-Monts reported two humpback whales, four blue whales, four fin whales and a minke whale. Blows were also seen in the direction of Godbout, however they were too far for species identification. A minke whale and a fin whale were spotted off Percé, and another minke whale was seen at Gaspé. Two or three fin whales could be seen from the Tadoussac dunes. There were six blows visible off Les Bergeronnes and two blue whales off Les Escoumins, one of which was a "fluker". 4 December 2003, vol. 7 no48 Active Belugas or "a Surprise Package" Residents of Saint-Irénée in the Charlevoix region were recently impressed by a group of very active belugas just offshore from their village. The belugas would often remained at the surface, bring their heads completely out of the water, open their mouths wide and then suddenly fluke up while diving. At one point they formed a circle–as if they were herding fish–and then dove, churning up the water. They were also seen swimming on their sides. Whether these are feeding tactics or social behaviour, beluga whale behaviour is definitely full of surprises. Dovekies Dovekies are small seabirds. They fly through the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence on their migrations. They are usually sighted a few at a time. Yet, in certain years they arrive like an invasion, as was the case this autumn. Thousands of them are present at the mouth of the Saguenay. They are in their winter plumage and thus sport a white crescent on their faces. Male and female dovekies share the same plumage. A Sociable Beluga in the Bay of Fundy A solitary beluga whale is swimming the waters of the Bay of Fundy, more specifically on the New Brunswick side of the Bay, near Deer Island. This whale is likely a member of the St. Lawrence beluga population. It is obviously a long way from home, far from the usual distribution area of its species. It is a curious and sociable juvenile. Recently it scared a diver who was working on aquaculture equipment. While the diver was concentrating on his work, the beluga swam up behind him and nudged him on the shoulder. The diver turned around to find himself face to face with the whale. Quite a scare! An adult beluga whale was apparently also seen off Grand Manan Island, in the Bay of Fundy, last August. 11 December 2003, vol. 7 no49 Whales Here, There and Everywhere Five fin whales were reported near the Magdalene Islands at the end of November. Three or four whale spouts were spotted off Percé this past week. Two blue whales were present in Gaspé Bay. A collaborator from Blanc-Sablon reported seeing a minke whale. A solitary beluga whale is still present at Havre-Saint-Pierre. Blows of large rorqual whales were seen at Mistassini Point. Three blue whales and seven fin whales are hanging out in the Bergeronnes-Les Escoumins area. A group of harp seals was also spotted. Several dozen beluga whales are still present at the mouth of the Saguenay, along with two or three minke whales. Sperm Whales Whale watchers on the shore at Les Bergeronnes on November 26 counted between seven and ten whale tails simultaneously pointing skyward off in the distance. Then, 35 to 40 minutes later, they re-sighted these whales, with inclined blows typical of sperm whales. They came to the surface around twenty times before diving, once again bringing their tails above the surface. This deep-water species visits the Estuary every year. Five sperm whales were sighted in the same area on August 1 of this year. Killer Whales After the exceptional sighting of two killer whales in the Estuary off Les Bergeronnes on October 11 (documented in pictures and on video), there was apparently another rare visit further upstream. Workers aboard the Baie-Sainte-Catherine–Tadoussac ferries spotted what they identified as two killer whales. This took place on the morning of December 5 between 7:00 AM and 8:10 AM. The two cetaceans, swimming side by side, explored the entrance to the Saguenay and then headed offshore. According to witnesses, their dorsal fins were exceptionally large, much taller than those of minke whales. One of the witnesses noticed a white patch at eye level. Another mentioned a pale area on the flank and back, which corresponds to the characteristic grey "saddle patch" of killer whales. 18 December 2003, vol. 7 no50 There She Blows! Whale spouts were reported off the North Shore village of Sainte-Anne-de-Portneuf last weekend. There were eight blue whales and five fin whales at Percé Rock. Look to the sea, the whales are there. Live Beached Seals Several shore-dwellers became worried about seals that had beached themselves along the shore. As a rule, live-beached seals are not in any trouble. Normal behaviour for seals is to come ashore to rest up on land, as they often do on the ice pack. To avoid disturbing them–as well as for safety’s sake–it is best to remain at a good distance and keep any domestic animals from approaching the seals. Seals can bite and transmit serious diseases. Four different species of seals are present in the St. Lawrence at this time of year: harbour seals, grey seals, harp seals and hooded seals. The harbour seal is a year-round resident, while the grey seal is present mostly in the summer months, but can be seen at other times of the year as well. As for the harp seal, it usually migrates into our area in winter. The hooded seal behaves in a similar manner, yet sightings of this species are less frequent. Beached Carcasses A dead beluga whale was drifting in Tadoussac Bay on November 24. It was recovered and a post-mortem examination will be performed. A small cetacean–possibly a white-sided dolphin–beached in Colombier on November 25. Several seal carcasses have been recently found, including a harbour seal at Montmagny on November 24, a grey seal at Grosses-Roches on November 26, two young harp seals at Blanc-Sablon around December 10 and another young harp seal at Sainte-Félicité on December 11. This registry of marine mammal deaths is an important scientific tool. Thank you to all who took the time to report these cases. |