Archives – The whale news network 2006

The numbers speak for themselves!

A sea monster

On Saturday, January 28, while ice fishing near Sainte-Rose-du-Nord in the Saguenay Fjord, a woman from Chicoutimi hauled up a major denizen of the deep. She reeled in slowly, as the catch was very heavy and very deep. When she first saw the fish's tail—after reeling her line for an hour and a half—she thought it was a halibut. After widening the hole, the fish was pulled from the water by its tail using a rope attached to a snowmobile. The specimen turned out to be a three-metre-long, 230 kg, male Greenland shark; a deepwater predator that feeds on marine mammals and various species of fish, dead or alive. Needless to say, this is one of the largest fish to inhabit our waters. Jeffrey Gallant of the Greenland Shark and Elasmobranch Education and Research Group has stated that, while this species is not considered endangered, little is known about the population that inhabits the St. Lawrence and the Saguenay, which is why if you accidentally capture one of these fish, it is best to simply cut your line. The carcass of this shark will be taken to the Fjord Museum for further study.

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9 February 2006, vol. 10 n^o5

The birds of the North Shore

Last week we reported on the birds of the Estuary. This week we turn to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, more specifically the North Shore, for an overview of what is moving in this semi-frozen environment. Several observers, binoculars pointed seaward, report an impressive variety of fauna for this time of the year at the mouths of the Magpie and Saint-Jean rivers, just west of the Mingan Archipelago. The only marine mammals observed were a group of five harbour seals that could be seen resting on a rock projecting above the surface at low tide. But, once again this week, the most numerous and impressive variety of animal species present were avian. There were approximately 400 common eiders in the area, with one surprise among them: a king eider— relatively rare in the St. Lawrence—at the mouth of the Magpie River. Other species included common goldeneyes, red-breasted mergansers, arctic gulls, black guillemots, one glaucous gull, one great black-backed gull and one bald eagle. The big news, however, was the presence of 150 Barrow's goldeneyes at the mouth of the Saint-Jean River. This is the largest group of Barrow's goldeneyes ever observed in the Mingan area, their main winter area being the St. Lawrence Estuary. Ornithologists have been keeping a close eye on this species in recent years. It is estimated that a mere 4500 Barrow's goldeneyes remain in eastern North America.

Action in the Estuary

A sealer from Les Escoumins reports seeing a large group of between 4000 and 6000 harp seals offshore. While this sighting in itself is quite impressive, he was even more impressed with an encounter last weekend as he was heading out to sea. Approximately eight beluga whales were swimming near shore between the Pilot's wharf and the ferry wharf. A small, grey beluga whale could be seen swimming in the group of large, white adults. This is not an unusual sighting. While mothers and calves are essentially only seen upstream of the Saguenay River in summer, they move further downstream into the Lower St. Lawrence Estuary and Gulf during the colder months. The young whale remained close to one of the adults—possibly its mother—who was swimming slowly. The adult would frequently fluke up its tail, and then the two whales would swim around each other. Our observer was under the impression that it was a mother attempting to teach its offspring the finer points of being a beluga whale. This is a likely scenario as beluga whale calves nurse for approximately two years.

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16 February 2006, vol. 10 n^o6

Sometimes the ice is blue…

It's that time of year when the most common offshore sighting is of ice. Many observers contacted this week had nothing more to report than vast expanses of ice drifting by on the rising or falling tide. Yet, the frozen seascape is not completely deserted. A sealer from Les Escoumins encountered beluga whales once again this week. He estimates that there were approximately 30 animals in view, swimming in groups of four or five. Harp seals remain abundant in this same area. Observers from the Mingan area report one harbour seal in the water near shore, along with an impressive variety of waterfowl. But by far the most exciting sighting occurred mid-week when a Les Escoumins resident, with a panoramic view of the St. Lawrence Estuary, noted the blow of a large whale offshore between the pilot's wharf and the ferry wharf. Fortunately for us, she had a telescope at hand and was able to confirm that the solitary animal was in fact a blue whale! The gargantuan appetite of the largest animal in the world often leads it to the limit of the pack ice.

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23 February 2006, vol. 10 n^o7

The dead of winter in the St. Lawrence

Apart from scattered groups of harp seals in the Estuary, there were no official reports of marine mammals in the St. Lawrence this week.

To put things in perspective, here are a few late-February excerpts from the Whale News Network Archives.

24 February 2000, vol. 4 no 8 : After the extreme cold and storms of last week, spring appears to be just around the corner…. there were no whales on the horizon. Keep an eye out this week: it is often possible to spot blue whales in the Gulf and Estuary during the month of March.

22 February 2001, vol. 5 no 7: The Saguenay Fjord is now covered in ice. None of our collaborators spotted whales from the shore this week. The St. Lawrence appears congealed, immobile, frozen.

28 February 2002, vol. 6 no 8 : Oddly scarce in January, ice is now invading the banks of the St. Lawrence, forming chaotic piles displaying the flip side of the mild winter we've come to know so far.

27 February 2003, vol. 7 no 8 : Three belugas were spotted off Les Bergeronnes on Tuesday, February 25. This is a rare sighting. Winter sightings of belugas are also regularly reported off Rimouski and Sainte-Flavie.

26 February 2004, vol. 8 no 8 : Last weekend, while in Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan, (an observer) spotted what appeared to be a hooded seal. The wind whistles down the Saguenay. There are no belugas.

24 February 2005, vol. 9 no 7 : Once again this week, all appears quiet on the water apart from the occasional seal and the ever-present ice.

Historically, late February is lean. While some may take this to mean that there are no cetaceans present in the Gulf and Estuary, this is likely far from true. Despite the fact that numerous observers frequently scan the surface in search of whale sign, it is possible to miss it in the blink of an eye; whales often surface for only seconds at a time. Also, while there are fewer whales in winter, there are also fewer observers, most of whom are land-bound. February is, after all, the dead of winter.

But, do not give up hope! Before the creation of the Whale News Network, whale sightings were isolated incidents and observers were often not aware of observations in other portions of the St. Lawrence. Since the Whale News Network began reporting on marine mammals in the St. Lawrence in the spring of 1999, whale watchers are now aware that it is possible, and even likely, that they will see something if they but take the time to look. This has had a snowball effect, with increasing numbers of observers reporting their weekly sightings. The month of March, which is just around the corner, is a time of renewal and awakening. Stay tuned for upcoming reports…who knows what is out there just waiting to be noticed?

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2 March 2006, vol. 10 n^o8

Signs of life

With old man winter blowing cold, you would have had to have a good reason to spend a full day outside last weekend. Three courageous bird watchers spent their entire Sunday, February 26, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., gazing out over the Estuary from the villages of Tadoussac, Les Bergeronnes and Les Escoumins for their annual end-of-February bird count. While their main goal was to tally up marine birds, they were also hopeful of spotting signs of whales.

While their primary mission was a success, cetaceans remained elusive, although they did spot what they believed to be a harp seal offshore. Weather conditions were nearly identical to last year's count, providing comparable results. While far from exhaustive, here are a few numbers; this year there are less than half as many Iceland, greater black-backed, herring and glaucous gulls combined: 2363 in total. Approximately 200 fewer Barrow's goldeneyes and common goldeneyes and half as many red-breasted mergansers (61 this year compared to 108 last year) were also noted this year. Black ducks were more numerous (a total of 1390, most of them off Les Bergeronnes), as were greater scaups : 70 this year compared to only 3 last year, all of them off Tadoussac.

So, what do these numbers mean? As with most animal species, birds are, to a certain degree, at the mercy of their environment. Annual variations in ice cover and food abundance, along with several other environmental factors, likely have an impact on their presence. This was only the second annual end-of-February bird count in the area. Over time, seabirds—the most visible piece of the Estuary's life puzzle at this time of year—may give us some insights into trends in this portion of the St. Lawrence.

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9 March 2006, vol. 10 n^o9

Gone with the ice

At 8:00 a.m. on Monday, March 13, the Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker Des Groseillers will begin clearing out the ice that covers the Saguenay Fjord. Considering the surface area of the Fjord—roughly 100 km long by 1.5 km wide—this is not a small task. For obvious safety reasons, all ice-fishing shacks must be removed from the ice before this time. Thus ends yet another ice-fishing season on the Saguenay Fjord.

Local residents have been ice fishing in significant numbers on the Saguenay for approximately 25 years now. What is unique about this activity is the fact that it is possible to fish for a wide variety of fish; there are some 50 different species in the Saguenay, most of them saltwater fish. Fishing through a hole in the ice has gained in popularity in recent years and literally hundreds of shacks dot the surface of the frozen Fjord near several coastal communities. Such popularity has begun raising questions about sustainability. Fishermen, fisheries officers and park wardens have been working together on a study to determine trends in numbers, species and sizes of fish pulled from the icy waters for several years now. While the results of this particular study are pending, other preliminary research suggests that the survival rate of smelt larva (one of the main species caught) is low. There is also some indication that ground fish species, such as cod, may not reproduce in the Saguenay, which would mean that cod fish caught in the Fjord are originally from the St. Lawrence Estuary where their numbers are low. Interestingly enough, the Saguenay Fjord is the only place in all of the North Atlantic where sport fishing for groundfish species is still allowed.

This past season was a short one. Although it opened on January 16, many fishermen did not move their shacks out onto the ice before early February due to inclement weather and poor ice conditions. General impressions about the season are that while smelt were not abundant, a good variety of groundfish were caught, including some nice sized cod fish, rays, eelpout, Greenland cod and a few Atlantic redfish, not to mention the 230 kg Greenland shark that was pulled through the ice on January 28 (see Whale news network bulletin Vol. 10, no 4). Few fishermen managed to fulfil their daily quota.

What does the future hold? Conservation measures for the continuation of ice fishing in the Saguenay will depend on the results of the various studies that are being carried out on several species that inhabit these waters. The Saguenay remains a place of mystery.

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16 March 2006, vol. 10 n^o10

Rumours, possibilities and sightings

Rumours, possibilities and sightings

The warmer temperatures of this past week have begun melting the ice, causing it to crack, float and free up many bays and coves of the St. Lawrence. Walking along the shoreline is still a challenge in many places, yet, at low tide it may be possible to find a piece of sandy beach and partake in a pre-spring stroll.

While signs of offshore life remain sparse, there were rumours of blows rising skyward off Forestville last Friday. Blue whales or fin whales? Unfortunately, no details were available. An observer from Baie-Comeau noted what she says may have been seals, but she wasn't sure, while another observer from Longue-Rive spotted around 15 seals on the ice near shore last Sunday. Although she wasn't able to identify the species, given the time of year they were likely harp seals. While there was not much seen moving off the tip of the Gaspé Peninsula this past week, it should be noted that pack ice often covers Gaspé Bay when the wind blows shoreward, making it difficult to notice anything at sea.

Last Wednesday, a sealer from Les Escoumins saw two groups of beluga whales: one made up of 15 and the other of 20 animals. Although he did not go to sea this week due to a temporary hiatus—the seals in the Gulf are moulting and sealing has been suspended until the end of March—he did notice around 50 harp seals from shore.

Finally, an observer working aboard the Camille Marcoux ferry had some very interesting news to report this week. While crossing the St. Lawrence he noted a small group of six beluga whales swimming approximately four nautical miles off Matane on Sunday. On Saturday he spotted a blue whale surface feeding approximately eight nautical miles off Godbout, on the North Shore.

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23 March 2006, vol. 10 n^o11

Spring patience

Several boat owners, fishermen and divers are already feeling the pull of the tide and have begun preparing their boats and equipment for their first voyages of 2006, although, in some cases, these outings may yet be weeks away. Still, the majority of our observers remain shore bound. Sightings from shore this past week were essentially limited to eiders, mergansers and gulls. While a few harbour seals were seen sunning themselves on small rock islands at the mouth of the Magpie River on the North Shore, no blows were noted on the horizon. Once again this week, one of our rare offshore observers noted a large blue whale surface feeding four nautical miles off Godbout. He also spotted a group of approximately eight beluga whales, one of them a juvenile animal.

Looking for volunteers

In spring, encounters with marine mammals become increasingly numerous. As temperatures inevitably climb, the shore becomes accessible to hikers and growing numbers of people contemplate the unfathomable maritime horizon. Occasionally, marine mammals are discovered in difficulty, beached, entangled and sometimes even dead. Since the spring of 2004, a toll-free number (1-877-722-5346) has been in service 24 hours per day, year round. This is the number of the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network whose goals are to organize, coordinate and carry out measures aimed at reducing the accidental death of marine mammals, assist marine mammals in trouble and learn more about dead animals in the Quebec portion of the St. Lawrence. The call centre receptionist collects information and—depending on the situation—may dispatch a team to assist an animal in difficulty, recover a carcass or collect samples and data. Last year the call centre received a total of 306 calls for 151 separate cases involving seals and cetaceans from Montreal to the Magdalen Islands to Blanc-Sablon. This year the Emergency Network is looking for volunteers to assist them in their work in the field. If you are interested and would like more information, go to this Internet address and fill out the form.

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30 March 2006, vol. 10 n^o12

Blue skies, blue whales

Blue whale skin is a study in light grey and blue. Their mottled backs are reminiscent of abstract patterns in the sky on a partially cloudy spring day; a reflection of fine weather… harbingers of the season of renewal. The blues are back! Two Gulf of St. Lawrence sentinels reported blue whales in their respective areas this week. After several days of hearing reports of blows in his area, an observer from Sept-Iles took the time to confirm that two blue whales were in fact present in Sainte-Marguerite Bay, near Gallix, early on the morning of March 28, approximately three nautical miles from the shore. Another observer, working aboard the Camille-Marcoux ferry, counted a total of eight blue whales between 8 and 16 nautical miles off Matane on Sunday, March 26, along with 50 beluga whales. He also noted 20 to 30 harbour porpoises approximately three nautical miles from Godbout. Finally, while taking a drive around the tip of the Gaspé Peninsula, a third sentinel spotted the blows of two large whales off Cap-des-Rosiers. These were his first sightings of the year. Unfortunately, the whales were a little too far for positive species identification.

White ice, white whales

All winter long chunks of floating ice, large and small, could be seen ebbing and flowing with the rising and falling tide at the mouth of the Saguenay River. The main difference between a piece of ice and a beluga whale is that ice remains at the surface; beluga whales dive. Now that the River is relatively clear, the white whales appear to be thinking about moving back in. Although the Saguenay is the centre of their summer range, in winter this resident population moves downstream. At 8:00 a.m. on March 24 a group of around 10 beluga whales—adults and young—was seen milling about, scouting out the entrance to the Saguenay. They did not swim upstream beyond the mouth of the River.

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6 April 2006, vol. 10 n^o13

Mystery whales

Last week we reported the blows of two whales off Cap-des-Rosiers on the Gaspé Peninsula, too far for species identification. Enigma. Once again this week whales of the Gaspé Peninsula managed to make their presence known without disclosing their true identity. Distance was not the problem this time as the whales swam into Gaspé Bay; the first report of whales in the Bay since last fall. What is special about this observation is that it was not even a true sighting… In the words of the witness, “On Friday, March 31 at around 6:00 p.m., I was on the deck of my house in the Cap-aux-Os area when I heard what appeared to be the blow of a whale. As it had been many moons since I had last seen or heard any, I was wondering if I had imagined it. But, a few minutes later I heard the same sound twice with an interval short enough to conclude that there were at least two individuals. It was obvious that the whales were in the Bay, but, as the sun was going down and the sky overcast, I didn't see anything, therefore it is difficult to say what species it was. However, the sound was travelling very well at the time and the blows were quite perceptible.” Hopefully the whales of the Gaspé Peninsula will not be as shy in coming weeks!

While strolling…

A couple of observers strolling along the shore near Les Escoumins managed to spot two adult beluga whales swimming in the small cove near the Marine Environment Discovery Centre on Sunday afternoon along with a large number of seabirds. Decidedly, it is time to dig out hiking boots, binoculars and maybe even a camera for a spring stroll along the shore; the ice has disappeared from most quarters along the St. Lawrence. Who knows what you may see…?

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13 April 2006, vol. 10 n^o14

Minke whales: the first sightings of the season

We've been waiting, we've been watching… Last year the first sightings occurred on April 21. This year it was on the morning of April 10 that a North Shore observer saw them from her house on the shores of the St. Lawrence at Longue-Rive for the first time: three minke whales off Pointe-à-Boisvert swimming towards Les Escoumins. Where did they spend the winter? A good question that is still being investigated by researchers.

Springtime and whale watchers have begun setting up along the shoreline: beluga whales visible from both shores of the St. Lawrence

The scenery continues to assume the colours of spring: the ice has disappeared from the River, cliffs, as well as grassy and rocky stretches of shoreline are also free of ice, allowing riverside residents to take advantage of their decks and gardens. Two such residents observed two distinct groups of approximately four beluga whales—at least one nautical mile apart—for one hour in a zone situated between Saint-Siméon and Lièvres Island.

Researchers from the Maurice Lamontagne Institute—situated on the South Shore, near Rimouski—that happened to be sampling at sea, noted a group of four beluga whales three nautical miles from Cennelles Point. From the windows of the Institute, another researcher took a picture of a group of beluga whales that was swimming near the wharf for an entire morning.

Our observer from Longue-Rive also saw a group of five beluga whales in Milles-Vaches Bay on Tuesday afternoon.

On Wednesday, eight beluga whales were spotted in Cave Cove near Les Bergeronnes; they were swimming upstream.

Birds in passing and the birds of the Estuary

What follows are the migratory bird species noted by our assiduous bird watcher from Tadoussac: brants, surf scoters, white-winged scoters and black scoters. These birds are on their way north to nest for the summer. Ring-billed gulls, common eiders and double-crested cormorants are presently arriving in the Estuary where they will spend the summer after their southern winter journey.

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20 April 2006, vol. 10 n^o15

Five large rorqual whales in Gaspé Bay

In our April 6 bulletin a trusty observer reported hearing two whales blowing in Gaspé Bay, but was unable to see them due to poor light conditions. This week the same observer spent half an hour standing on his picnic table watching the whales! “Late in the afternoon on April 11, I managed to observe at least five large rorqual whales in Gaspé Bay from my house. Early as it is in the whale-watching season, I am a little rusty when it comes to species identification. Nonetheless, according to their size and behaviour, they appear to be blue whales and also possibly fin whales. One thing is certain, one of them frequently brought its tail out of the water as it dove, which suggests that it was likely a blue whale; the greyish skin colour also corresponds to this species. It was sunny, but the wind rapidly whisked the blows away.”

Beluga whales, minke whales and Barrow's goldeneyes near Tadoussac

Although the Easter holiday was overcast and rainy, outdoor enthusiasts rediscovered the pleasures of hiking in the spring. In Tadoussac, hikers observed a dozen beluga whales, adult and young combined, off Rouge Point on Friday, April 14. Conditions for whale watching were optimal. The hikers relate that, “with the setting sun at our backs, I could clearly see the shining skin of the beluga whales and differentiate between the adults, whose backs are white, and the young whales whose backs are grey.” Two days earlier, at the mouth of the Saguenay, a group of approximately a ten beluga whales was spotted from the ferry. From atop the sand dunes east of the town, an observer noted a minke whale surface feeding near the red S4 buoy—situated north of the Prince Shoal lighthouse—last Tuesday. Some thirty beluga whales and 300 to 400 gulls could be seen further offshore.

A couple of Barrow's goldeneyes were hanging out near the rocks in the Tadoussac dry dock cove on Wednesday morning. According to the Canadian Wildlife Service, this species is liable to be soon designated as a vulnerable or endangered species in Quebec. These birds winter over in the Estuary and nest near lakes situated on elevations along the North Shore of the St. Lawrence. The female of the species spends its entire summer here raising its offspring and moulting. The male pursues its migration and moults some 1000 km to the north.

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27 April 2006, vol. 10 n^o16

The horizon is the limit

Whale watching from shore comes with certain advantages, such as a stable, stationary base and easy access. The major disadvantage is distance. If the whales are too far from shore, they are sometimes difficult to spot and species identification—based on skin colour, size and shape—can be problematic. Despite this, several observers spotted whales from terra firma and managed to get an eyeful.

Along the North Shore

Late in the afternoon on Saturday, April 22, two land-based whale watchers spotted the blows of two large whales off Boisvert Point. Unfortunately the whales were too far offshore for positive species identification, but our observers did note that they were heading upstream. Closer to shore a solitary beluga whale was also moving upstream. Finally, over a dozen harbour seals could be seen on their haul out site in Milles Vaches Bay, upstream from Boisvert Point. Further upstream another observer noted a fin whale and several beluga whales the day before, on Friday morning, between the pilot's wharf and the ferry wharf in Les Escoumins. The blows of a large rorqual whale were also visible the following Tuesday and Wednesday morning some four nautical miles from shore off Les Escoumins. Due to the distance, it was impossible to identify the species; it was likely either a blue whale or a fin whale. Even further upstream a group of six beluga whales, two of them young, grey animals, were noted at the mouth of the Grandes Bergeronnes River. Finally, a couple of bird watchers from Tadoussac were distracted from their favourite activity by a minke whale that was swimming near the S4 buoy at the mouth of the Saguenay River four days in a row. On Sunday, April 23, the minke whale was actively surface feeding, breaking the surface snout-first with its mouth wide open. Groups of 10 to 30 beluga whales can be seen on a daily basis off the Alouettes Tidal Flats. Obviously, binoculars or a spotting scope greatly enhance the experience if you happen to be whale watching from land.

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4 May 2006, vol. 10 n^o17

Beluga whales reported throughout the Estuary

Shore dwellers from both sides of the St. Lawrence have recently been documenting the seasonal return of beluga whales to the Upper Estuary. A group of six beluga whales was seen one kilometre off shore from the port of Gros Cacouna heading downstream towards Verte Island on the morning of Sunday, April 30. Across the St. Lawrence, two separate observers from Saint-Irénée, in the Charlevoix area, reported their first sighting of these whales; approximately eight beluga whales, two of them young animals, spent part of Sunday afternoon just off the coast. The occasional beluga whale was also noted further downstream near Les Escoumins, Forestville and off Matane. Long live the white whales!

The first whale-watching cruises of the year

Several whale-watching boats, large and small, began heading out to sea from their homeports of Tadoussac and Baie-Sainte-Catherine this week. Another season has begun and passengers at this time of year should keep an eye out for minke whales. Solitary, coastal and active, minke whales have been frequently sighted in recent days feeding at the mouth of the Saguenay River, in Tadoussac Bay, Sainte-Catherine Bay and along the Upper North Shore. Several bird species are also worth noting at this time of the year: thousands of oldsquaw ducks, hundreds of eider ducks, black ducks, various species of gulls and scoters are now present in the Estuary. With luck, and a good pair of binoculars, observers may even spot the occasional razorbill or possibly a juvenile northern gannet!

Of birds and blues

An observer aboard the Matane-Godbout ferry reports some interesting sightings over the past few weeks. While earlier this spring he noted quite a few blue whales, he believes that there are still likely three to four in the area. Most recently, he has spotted approximately 30 beluga whales spread out from 3 to 10 nautical miles off Matane. As for avian fauna, northern gannets have arrived, as have several razorbills. This week there were around 30 Atlantic puffins near the breakwater at Matane!

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11 May 2006, vol. 10 n^o18

Great whales in the Gulf

Various reports from around the Gulf of St. Lawrence indicate that the great whales are back in force this spring. A sailor working aboard a cargo ship that does a regular run from Newfoundland to Montreal reports quite a few great whales—likely blue whales and fin whales—downstream from Anticosti Island. Another observer working aboard a research vessel in the Gulf spotted blue whales off the Magdalen Islands. The tip of the Gaspé Peninsula appears to be getting busy as well. A shore-bound whale watcher from Cap-aux-Os followed the movements of two blue whales from his office window for the better part of the morning of Monday, May 8; he states that there are many more whales further offshore, particularly 10 nautical miles south-east of Cape Gaspé. Further south, the blow of a large whale was spotted from the village of Caplan in Chaleurs Bay.

Tidings from the Estuary

On the evening of Saturday, May 6, whale watchers travelling along the North Shore stopped off at Cap-de-Bon-Désir to see what they could see. Their stop was worth the detour. They observed two beluga whales and three minke whales for over an hour. One minke whale even swam within 15 metres of shore. Later the minke whales could be seen breaking the surface as they were feeding further offshore. The following day, a bird watcher who made his way to a spot a bit further upstream—near Les Bergeronnes—was treated to a very impressive display as literally thousands of Bonaparte's gulls flew past them heading west along the shore in groups of 10 to 20 at a time. His conservative estimate for the two hours he was present is of 4000 birds! Bonaparte's gulls arrive in the Estuary every year about this time. As is often the case, it's all about being in the right place at the right time. Whale watchers aboard boats navigating the Estuary around the mouth of the Saguenay Fjord were treated to fine weather, flat calm water and great sightings over the past few days. As many as 15 minke whales were spotted on one cruise on Tuesday afternoon. Large groups of white beluga whales were easy to see in the distance against the dark backdrop of the water. Many young, grey animals were present in these groups. The first fin whale of the season showed up on Monday near the K54 buoy, downstream from the Saguenay. And so it begins…

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18 May 2006, vol. 10 n^o19

The most coastal of whales

In the St. Lawrence, the minke whale definitely lives up to its reputation as a coastal species. Sightings this week were dominated by this species, which was observed from shore all along the tip of the Gaspé Peninsula, also in Anglais Bay near Baie-Comeau, off Tadoussac at the mouth of the Saguenay River and as far up the St. Lawrence as Port-au-Persil in the Charlevoix region. Most notable were the four minke whales that spent an hour off Ruisseau-Castor near Ste-Anne-des-Monts last Saturday. The whales were spread out over 300 m of coastline, 50 m from shore. Typically solitary, minke whales sometimes come together to feed. This appeared to be the case as the whales in question could be seen frequently breaking the surface on their sides and bringing their heads and part of their bodies out of the water as they lunged energetically to capture their prey, likely a small, schooling fish known as capelin. Minke whale watching is a fascinating diversion. It is most interesting if one takes the time to try to follow the movements of an individual animal while attempting to imagine what it is doing below the waves. Quite a challenge, good luck!

In the middle of the Gulf

An avid whale watcher from Gallix, near Sept-Îles, headed offshore last week to see what he could see. He was not let down. During his offshore tour he noted three fin whales, two blue whales, seven minke whales, three harbour porpoises and 50 harp seals along with a wide variety of seabirds, including northern gannets and loons. He described his trip as “formidable!”.

A fine time for bird watching

Along with minke whales and beluga whales, two observers noted all the birds they could see while on a three-hour boat tour off Tadoussac and Les Bergeronnes last Sunday morning. This being a great time to view oldsquaw ducks, they were especially impressed by the “carpets” of these birds that covered the surface. Their most conservative estimate is of at least 5000. There were literally clouds of birds flying over the water: an unforgettable experience. Although many oldsquaw ducks will remain in the area for a while, most will soon head north. Other species noted included six northern gannets, four razorbills, 600 surf scoters, 450 black scoters, 250 eider ducks, a dozen common loons, 300 brants, several red-breasted mergansers and a few common mergansers.

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25 May 2006, vol. 10 n^o20

“I've seen skies of blue…”

This past week was a wet one all along the St. Lawrence. Rain and fog reduced visibility with obvious consequences for whale watchers. Many observers were looking skyward, hoping for a glimpse of blue…sky that is. Yet, despite the inclement weather, several observers caught sight of minke whales again this week in the Gulf and Estuary, from on shore and off. Beluga whales were very numerous at the mouth of the Saguenay and several of these white whales were also noted further downstream off Bon-Désir Bay, Forestville and even Pointe-des-Monts. While the tip of the Gaspé Peninsula was no exception to the wet weather, whale watchers recently spotted two fin whales navigating around Bonaventure Island along with three to four minke whales near the Percé wharf.

The slanted blow

While reporting her recent sightings from Pointe-des-Monts—several minke whales, a couple beluga whales and the blow of a fin whale offshore—a land-based observer described with rising excitement what she was witnessing at the moment of her phone call. On a windy day, the blow of a large whale can be whisked away quite rapidly and may even appear to be leaning. However, on a calm day the blow of a large rorqual whale, such as a blue or fin, will rise straight up in a white column of mist. But what if the blow is slanted at an angle on a very calm day? It is possible, though quite unlikely, that the animal may surface at an angle, which could explain an initial slanted blow. But 10 in a row, followed by a large tail rising skyward as the leviathan dives for the bottom? There really is only one whale that fits this description… unmistakably a solitary sperm whale was blowing not far from shore on Wednesday, May 25 at exactly 12:00 noon off Pointe-des-Monts! Unfortunately, the whale only put in the one appearance. Keep an eye out, who knows where it will surface again.

Beyond the Gulf

An observer who works aboard a freighter in the St. Lawrence between Newfoundland and Montreal got quite an eyeful on the morning of May 19th west of Placentia Bay, Newfoundland, just beyond the Gulf. The ship actually slowed down as it navigated near approximately 60 humpback whales and several fin whales that were very active at the surface: tails and pectoral fins visible above the surface as the animals frolicked about. Were they feeding? It is possible, unfortunately very few details were available due to a poor phone connection. On the evening of Wednesday, May 24 the same observer noted a large group of Atlantic white-sided dolphins leaping and swimming in the same general area.

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1 June 2006, vol. 10 n^o21

Latecomers

Several residents of Sainte-Anne-des-Monts witnessed a surprising parade of white whales. On the morning of May 31, approximately 100 beluga whales swam within 50 metres of shore on their way upstream, not an everyday sighting for this area. One witness noted the grey backs of young beluga whales in the herd. The St. Lawrence beluga whale population has, for the most part, already moved further upstream to its summer range centred on the mouth of the Saguenay River. Hurry up, you're late!

Itching to get out there

St. Lawrence tour operators admit that they are raring to go as the whale-watching season is still in its early stages. Waiting on shore for whale watchers to show up, they have been spotting the blows of several large whales downstream from Les Escoumins, in Gaspé Bay and beyond Bonaventure Island. From a distance it is impossible to say for sure whether they are blue whales, fin whales or humpback whales. Meanwhile, two humpback whales were seen two and a half kilometres off Rivière-au-Renard. This was a positive identification; using his binoculars, the tour operator who spotted them noted tail flukes and long pectoral fins projecting from the surface. Meanwhile, a tour operator from Sept-Îles, who couldn't wait for passengers, headed out on the water on his own on Sunday, May 28 and spotted eight minke whales feeding in the islands, as well as one blue whale and one humpback whale. Minke whales, true to form, can be observed along the shore.

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8 June 2006, vol. 10 n^o22

A baby giant

Whales have been popping up everywhere in the St. Lawrence either in large numbers or just a few at a time. There have been sightings of everything from minke whales to beluga whales to large rorqual whales. This is nothing unusual. Yet, a rather rare situation was recently reported in the Gulf; a blue whale was seen with a calf in the Gaspé Bay area on June 4 and 5! Blue whales are an endangered species and there are signs that the population that visits the St. Lawrence may have reproductive problems. The Mingan Island Cetacean Study (MICS), which is conducting a long-term study of blue whales, has compiled sightings of 20 blue whale calves in the St. Lawrence over the past 25 years. Sightings such as these are invaluable for researchers and should be reported immediately to the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network (1-877-722-5346).

A baby dwarf

Measuring 1.5 metres in length and weighing in at a mere 60 kilograms, the harbour porpoise is the smallest of the St. Lawrence cetaceans. Several observers from the Estuary and Gulf began noticing small groups of these animals last week. A closer look revealed that certain porpoises are really quite tiny; these are newborn calves swimming near their mothers. Spring is calving season for harbour porpoises. Adults mate in July and August, and gestation lasts approximately 10 months, while nursing continues for around 12 months. Female harbour porpoises are among the rare cetacean species that can give birth every year. This implies that they are simultaneously gestating and nursing for a large portion of their adult life: an enormous physiological burden for them!

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15 June 2006, vol. 10 n^o23

Euphoria on the Gaspé Peninsula

Last week enthusiastic whale watchers from the Gaspé Bay area spotted five minke whales and three fin whales swimming on their sides at the surface; all were feeding on a swarm of krill that—according to observers—could be seen just below the surface. This is unusual diurnal behaviour for euphausid crustaceans. Furthermore, two blue whales, one fin whale and several minke whales were seen in the same area. A female fin whale with a calf was reported near Plate Island, off Gaspé Bay. This is the kind of sighting that St. Lawrence whale watchers and whale researchers alike tend to view with a certain amount of tenderness. Finally, one blue whale, two fin whales and a humpback whale displayed dynamic feeding behaviour off Percé. While these sightings are in and of themselves quite spectacular, they also remind us of the agility and surprising strategic feeding capabilities of these animals!

Life in the Estuary

There has been a lot of action in the St. Lawrence Estuary in recent days, more specifically in the area around the head of the Laurentian Channel: the zone that corresponds to the northern portion of the Estuary between the villages of Les Bergeronnes and Tadoussac. Flanked by the Prince Shoal lighthouse and Rouge Island, many minke whales and beluga whales, along with an undetermined number of fin whales (between one and four), made for some very happy whale watchers. Typically a “hotspot”, this area is habitually frequented by cetaceans in pursuit of prey that accumulates here due to the interplay of underwater topography and water currents. One observer living near Cape Bon Désir attributed the surface feeding behaviour of minke whales in Bon Désir Bay to the presence of dense clouds of mosquitoes and black flies near his chalet. While not plausible, this hypothesis is amusing and colourful, to say the least.

To see Quebec … and die

The Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network received a call on Tuesday, June 14 from a hiker who reported the presence of a cetacean carcass on the eastern tip of Orleans Island, near Saint-François. While access to this portion of the Island is difficult, the carcass—which was in an advanced state of decomposition and giving off an understandably strong smell—was identified as that of a minke whale. It likely arrived here on the bow of a ship. Whether or not the animal was alive when struck is impossible to tell. This incident is similar to that of a fin whale that washed ashore near Contrecoeur this past spring, as well as the two minke whales discovered upstream last summer: one on Orleans Island and the other in the Port of Montreal. The compilation of cases such as these by the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network will eventually lead to a better understanding of whether or not shipping traffic is a major cause of death for St. Lawrence cetaceans.

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22 June 2006, vol. 10 n^o24

A jumble of news from Cap-aux-Os

A jumble of news from Cap-aux-Os Near the village of Cap-aux-Os, situated at the eastern limit of the Gaspé Peninsula, a blue whale and a fin whale accompanied by a calf were spotted approximately 100 m from land. Moreover, spawning capelin—a small species of schooling fish—have been rolling on beaches in the area over the past weeks, while harbour seals are pupping in the local colony. One witness reports a rather odd story: a golden eagle was chased off on five separate occasions from near the seal colony by a group of black-backed gulls, which are known to fiercely defend their territory.

“The long and winding road”

As if following the refrain from the Beatles tune, four beluga whales were noted last Thursday off Ruisseau Castor, near Sainte-Anne-des-Monts along the northern portion of the Gaspé Peninsula: a rare sighting indeed for this time of the year. Could these whales be the slowest of the group of fifty that we reported in the same area in our June 1 bulletin? St. Lawrence beluga whales that move towards the Gulf and Lower Estuary in winter usually find their way back to their summer range centred on the mouth of the Saguenay River in the month of June. What's the hurry?

Wednesday's whale

On the afternoon of June 21, naturalists at the Marine Environment Discovery Centre in Les Escoumins were fortunate witnesses of the first humpback whale of the season in the Laurentian Channel head area. The timely visitor passed within 30 m of the shore; so close, in fact, that naturalists report having heard it emit sounds. The whale then fluked up its tail. The undersides of humpback whale tails are a study in black and white that allows researchers to differentiate them on an individual basis. Witnesses do not agree on the whale's identity, which is impossible to confirm without photographs. While moving offshore in order to continue its upstream journey, the whale performed a spectacular breach, leaping above the water's surface. The explanations for this type of behaviour—relatively frequent for this species—are varied. A humpback whale, possibly the same one, also made for some happy whale watchers in the area a little later in the day. Several fin whales and a blue whale were also noted in the Tadoussac—Les Escoumins area over the course of the same afternoon.

Rare birds in the Mingan Islands

This past week hundreds of northern fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis) have been reported in groups of 30 to 50 at a time in the Mingan Archipelago. This is an unusual sighting as this species of seabird is normally encountered further offshore. Resembling a gull, the northern fulmar has a distinctive flight pattern; it alternates rapid wing beats with long glides.

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29 June 2006, vol. 10 n^o25

A little-known cetacean strands near Forillon National Park

Park wardens discovered the beached carcass of a Sowerby's beaked whale between the villages of Penouille and Fort-Péninsule on the Gaspé Peninsula last Thursday. Very little is known about this population of North Atlantic toothed whales. While the maximum size for the species is 5.5 m and 1 300 kg, the Forillon specimen was a 4.3-metre long male weighing approximately 910 kg. Only one of its two teeth was visible; adult males grow only two teeth, in their lower jaw, which protrude upward on either side of the beak in the manner of a wild boar. After having examined the carcass before burial in a local landfill, Fisheries and Oceans Canada scientists came to the conclusion that the whale was alive when it came ashore, although they were not able to determine cause of death. Sowerby's beaked whale differs significantly from the more common northern bottlenose whale; bottlenose whales are quite a bit larger and boast a prominent and bulbous melon: a mass of fatty tissue situated on the brow, just below the skin, common to several toothed-whale species. In the western North Atlantic, Sowerby's beaked whales are generally found in 200 to 1 500 m of water from Labrador to Massachusetts. They tend to swim in groups of eight to ten and nothing is known about their reproductive behaviour. They feed on squid and possibly cod.

Don't miss the surface-feeding festival, coming soon to a whale-watching sight near you

Whether it be schools of fish or swarms of krill, St. Lawrence surface waters seem to be teaming with life these days. A large concentration of whales has been reportedly feeding in a tide rip at the mouth of Gaspé Bay, where most of the food appears to be at a depth of approximately10 m. Three or four minke whales were seen surface feeding just upstream of Passe-Pierre Point, typically the upstream limit of their incursion into the Saguenay Fjord. A fin whale was observed side feeding for the better part of last Saturday near Bon-Désir Cape. When large rorqual whales feed in this manner, whale watchers sometimes catch a glimpse of their imposing ventral pouches, dilated with water and prey, just before the whale retracts its muscles in order to expel the water. Finally, near Anticosti Island—off the Mingan Archipelago in the Gulf of St. Lawrence—approximately 15 fin whales, a blue whale named Quicksilver (who had only been previously sighted in 1984), several minke whales and three basking sharks—large sharks that feed only on zooplankton—appeared to be taking advantage of an abundance of krill. As fish go, the basking shark, which can measure up to 10 m and 7 t, is second in size only to the whale shark. Also a giant plankton eater (15 m, 10 t), whale sharks tend to swim in warmer waters than those of the St. Lawrence.

The discrete visit of sociable little black whales

Also in the Anticosti area—more specifically in Honguedo Strait between Anticosti Island and the Gaspé Peninsula—a team from MICS (Mingan Island Cetacean Study) encountered 20 to 50 long-finned pilot whales. Very gregarious in nature, these toothed whales often swim in groups numbering in the hundreds. Pilot whales are known for mass stranding, such as the highly publicized case of some 50 pilot whales that came ashore on Cape Cod in 2002. No definitive explanation exists for this behaviour. Hypotheses include panic, sick leaders, distortion of magnetic fields and the particular shape of certain coastlines that render them difficult to interpret by echolocation.

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6 July 2006, vol. 10 n^o26

Sperm whales once again in the Estuary

Sperm whales typically blow at an oblique angle. These occasional visitors to the Estuary were spotted around suppertime during a whale-watching cruise on Wednesday, July 5, off Les Bergeronnes. Eight animals in all were in the group; they fluked up frequently, an indication that they were diving. While writing these lines on the morning of July 6, five of the sperm whales were in the process of being photographed for identification purposes. A team from the Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals (GREMM) took pictures of their tails, as the animals, dispersed, appeared to be heading towards Les Escoumins. Are these five animals on file in the GREMM's Estuary catalogue of sperm whales that includes 24 animals? This information will become clearer when today's photographs are compared with those in the catalogue. To date, no discernible stable associations have been detected among the sperm whales of the St. Lawrence. This leads researchers to believe that these occasional visitors could be young males that have recently left their family units: females and young that frequent the deep, warm waters of the South. Males typically migrate towards higher latitudes, often to zones where deepwater upwellings bring nutrient rich waters to the surface. The Laurentian Channel of the Estuary is just such a place. We would like to draw on the news of these sperm whales as a reminder that special observations in the St. Lawrence Estuary—such as sperm whales, blue whales with calves, right whales or any other exceptional species—should be reported as soon as possible to GREMM by dialling (418) 235-1999. This ensures that a research team can be dispatched as quickly as possible to document the sighting. Thank you!

What is essential is invisible…

The water was boiling with cetaceans this week in the area between the Mingan Archipelago and Anticosti Island. Along with a small group of white-beaked dolphins, over thirty fin whales—two calves among them—were spotted in the area by a MICS research team. The fin whales displayed behaviour characteristic of deepwater feeding. After taking several breaths at the surface and arching their backs to dive, the whales would surface several minutes later in the same area, instead of re-surfacing further away, as when travelling. Furthermore, excrement was visible at the surface. The reddish cloud, which promptly dissipates in the water, is another indication of fin whale feeding activity; excretory functions are stimulated during feeding bouts.

“Smile, the humpback whale calf is about to surface!”

At least eight humpback whales have been noted in the Gaspé Bay area, including several that are well known to the Mingan Island Cetacean Study (MICS) team presently working in the area. A few of the photographed whales include Splish, Leprechaun (Splish's juvenile offspring) and Siam. How do you identify a humpback whale? By taking pictures of its dorsal fin and, most importantly, the underside of its tail flukes as it dives: the black and white colouration pattern is unique to each animal. Every encounter with an individual animal allows researchers to reconstruct its personal history and answer numerous questions concerning the biology of the species. For example: we know that Siam is one of several humpback whales to visit the St. Lawrence Estuary. He has also been photographed during annual North Atlantic humpback whale winter mating gatherings in the Caribbean Sea. In summer, humpback whales return to one of several northern feeding sites. Once again, thanks to photo-identification, we know that humpback whales tend to display site fidelity to the area where their mother led them in their first summer of life. It is therefore not surprising to find Leprechaun and Splish in the Gaspé area this summer! And when Splish is eventually photographed accompanied by a calf once again we will be able to deduce her calving intervals. Photography is decidedly an indispensable research tool for St. Lawrence biologists!

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13 July 2006, vol. 10 n^o27

The spy who came in from the cold (waters)

After having swum under the hull of a whale-watching boat, two obviously curious humpback whales in Gaspé Bay came up perpendicular to the surface, bringing their heads out of the water to better observe the boat… and its passengers. This behaviour is commonly referred to as spyhopping. Similar behaviour, signs of curiosity and a certain intelligence, are regularly reported elsewhere in the St. Lawrence involving other cetacean species such as minke whales and beluga whales. In these cases the whales may slowly swim around a boat or incessantly pass under the hull turned on their sides in order to ogle the surface. They're likely trying to figure out where the “Wow!”s and “Oh!”s are coming from, or maybe they're trying to identify a threat or an eventual intruder. As for beluga whales, champion snoopers that they are, couldn't they better use their time for more practical occupations than checking out boats… say mating, looking after their offspring and social interactions?

Our waters are host to a rare visitor

The first North Atlantic right whale of the season has been confirmed by a MICS biologist who happened to be aboard a Fisheries and Oceans Canada vessel in Chaleurs Bay on July 12. Apparently a few of the 350 remaining North Atlantic right whales—the most threatened of the great whales—have taken to occasionally visiting the St. Lawrence, particularly the waters off Percé. This coastal whale, which spends a great deal of its time at the surface, is often subjected to ship strikes and accidental entanglement in fishing gear. In light of this, GREMM, with the support of the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network (1-877-7BALEINE), is pursuing its vigilance programme for right whales in the St. Lawrence. Any sighting, especially if it has been documented with photographs, is precious, as much for the scientific data thus collected as to inform captains navigating the St. Lawrence to be watchful.

There's always room for one more

Last Friday, approximately 50 Atlantic white-sided dolphins surfaced near Godbout, to the delight of passengers aboard the Matane-Godbout ferry. These are the first dolphins to be sighted in the Estuary this year. Between 20 and 30 of these animals were also spotted near Bonaventure Island, off Percé. Last week 12 white-beaked dolphins were swimming between the North Shore and Anticosti Island. These two species are among the 13 cetacean species that are listed as regular visitors to the St. Lawrence. They are sometimes escorted by other species of dolphins, as documented by the unfortunate discovery of two carcasses. One of these was a short-beaked common dolphin, discovered in the fall of 2005, the other a striped dolphin, in 1992. This latter species is more at home in warmer waters and may have found it a bit chilly here in the St. Lawrence.

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20 July 2006, vol. 10 n^o28

A coastal choir

An observer from the North Shore village of Pointe-des-Monts that marks the transition from Gulf to Estuary recently bore witness to a near-shore aquatic parade; on the afternoon of July 12, the powerful blows of eight fin whales accompanied some twenty minke whales, all cetaceans displaying dynamic surface feeding manoeuvres. For better or worse, come nightfall the whale blows were still audible to those in the vicinity, stiff competition for even the heaviest snorer. It wasn't until 7:00 a.m. the following morning that the rorqual whales, joined in the interim by approximately 20 dolphins, finally left the feeding area on their way downstream. How do rorqual whales feed in the dark? What time is suppertime for these animals? While the specific feeding behaviour of each and every whale species has yet to be precisely described (feeding habits may even vary from one individual to another), one thing is certain: baleen whales require major concentrations of food. Furthermore, tides and time of day influence the movements of their prey. The whales at Pointe-des-Monts may have been taking full advantage of a particularly dense school of prey that had formed in the area.

The St. Lawrence flaunts its impressive diversity

In addition to the ever-loyal minke and beluga whales, large rorqual whales are also back in force this summer in the maritime portion of the St. Lawrence Estuary, between the mouth of the Saguenay Fjord and Pointe-des-Monts. Cruise operators discovered a group of nine fin whales in the fog off Tadoussac by listening for their explosive exhalations. Further downstream, a large number of harbour porpoises, many calves among them, were reported off Sept-Îles. And, along with the habitual profusion of whales, two basking sharks were spotted in the waters between the Mingan Archipelago and Anticosti Island. Despite their impressive size—as much as 12 m in length for a total weight of 7 t—these fish are harmless plankton eaters. Not to be left out, around 30 Atlantic white-sided dolphins visited the numerous rorqual whales off the Gaspé Peninsula. This diversity and abundance serves to remind us of the fact that the St. Lawrence Gulf and Estuary are essential, even critical habitats for many North Atlantic marine mammal species.

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27 July 2006, vol. 10 n^o29

To see the whale without being seen… or heard

Many members of the Whale News Network regularly report land-based sightings from along the shores of the St. Lawrence Estuary and Gulf. This stands to reason: cetaceans frequently feed, travel or frolic near the shore, a wharf or an underwater cliff. They can thus be seen from land without any human interference that could modify their natural behaviour. While cetaceans with decidedly coastal behaviour, such as beluga whales, minke whales or harbour porpoises, sometimes swim so close to shore that they appear to be scratching themselves on the rocks of sites such as Pointe-Noire, near Baie-Sainte-Catherine, other, less coastal species, can also be found very near shore if their food is present or if the bathymetry (shape of the sea floor) permits it at places like Pointe-des-Monts (see last week's edition) or Cap-de-Bon-Désir, near Les Bergeronnes. Furthermore, certain habitats, that are very likely essential ones, can sometimes be found in stretches of water that are relatively narrow, such as in Sainte-Marguerite Bay, a portion of the Saguenay Fjord regularly visited by beluga whales, including mothers accompanied by calves. And finally there are the North Shore wharves of Baie-Comeau and Godbout near which several minke whales appear to have set up temporary residence in recent days. A female minke whale, possibly accompanied by its calf, were among those noted: a relatively rare sighting in these latitudes and on the summer feeding grounds of this species.

Taking care of whale calves

Speaking of whale calves… many observers have recently been reporting baby beluga whales, harbour porpoises and, to a lesser extent, humpback whales (near Mingan and off the Gaspé Peninsula). But what of other species? Reproductive and maternal cetacean behaviour varies widely from one species to another, even more so between mysticete (baleen) whales and odontocete (toothed) whales. Most odontocete species mate during summer, and offspring tend to remain with their mothers for a long time; this period often outlasts the nursing cycle. Mysticete species, on the other hand, tend to mate in winter. Calving takes place far from our waters and offspring have often already been weaned and are swimming separated from their mothers when they enter the St. Lawrence in the spring and summer. This could explain, in part, the low numbers of cow/calf fin whale and, especially, blue whale pairs. Given that mysticetes are essentially less gregarious than odontocetes, could the gregariousness of whales influence the duration of the cow/calf relationship?

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3 August 2006, vol. 10 n^o30

The fin does not make the whale

Several shark species have been observed in the St. Lawrence over the past few weeks. Beyond the gigantic basking sharks—inoffensive plankton eaters—that our observers have been regularly reporting in the Mingan area and along the Gaspé Peninsula, two sharks belonging to another species were captured in fishing nets at Rivière-Pentecôte and Matane: porbeagle sharks. These sharks, rapid swimmers that can attain an average overall length of 1.5 m (to a maximum of 3 m) and mostly eat small fish, have long been known to frequent the St. Lawrence Gulf and Estuary. They are not really a threat to man; in fact they have more to fear from us than we them. Porbeagle sharks are a regular part of the bycatch of fishermen from the Magdalen Islands and are even commercially fished off Nova Scotia. Elsewhere in the St. Lawrence, a nearly two-metre-long, non-identified shark was seen on August 1 swimming the waters of Sainte-Catherine Bay, near the mouth of the Saguenay River. What follows is the list of St. Lawrence shark species as elaborated by the Greenland Shark and Elasmobranch Education and Research Group (GEERG): Greenland shark (caught in ice-fishing operations in the Saguenay Fjord in winter), the blue shark, the basking shark, the great white shark, the porbeagle shark, the spiny dogfish and the black dogfish. Finally, speaking of surprising visitors to our waters, let's not forget the sea turtle (species undetermined) that was recently reported in the Estuary.

The gallant or gluttonous encounters of solitary giants

Large groups of fin whales were seen at the head of the Laurentian Channel in the Estuary this past week swimming in a certain disorder, possibly collaborating to assemble mobile prey such as capelin. Also, last Wednesday in the Forestville area, researchers from the Mériscope reported two blue whales swimming in single file. According to work carried out by Richard Sears of the Mingan Island Cetacean Study (MICS), as of the end of July, St. Lawrence blue whales form more or less stable pairs. The number of durable pairs increases by the end of summer and through autumn. Biopsies have revealed that the vast majority of these cases are composed of a male and female blue whale. Pair formation may well be a precursor to mating, which takes place in winter for this species. However, mothers accompanied by their calves are quite rare in the spring in the St. Lawrence. Could mothers be choosing not to bring their calves into our waters? Or could it be a sign that this population has reproductive problems? The mystery persists.

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10 August 2006, vol. 10 n^o31

When whales take off

Last week the St. Lawrence Gulf and Estuary were theatre to impressive aerial cetacean displays. Along with the repeated breaches and splashes of numerous, vigorous and agile minke whales in the Percé, Pointe-des-Monts and Bergeronnes areas, similar behaviour was exhibited for a good hour by a humpback whale that had recently arrived at the head of the Laurentian Channel. Even two fin whales got in on the act and leapt above the surface several times each: exceptional behaviour for this species. But what makes whales jump? According to researcher Hal Whitehead, of Nova Scotia's Dalhousie University, this behaviour often represents the maximum effort possible for a whale. However, not all whales leap equally. While the humpback whale, right whale and sperm whale often breach, minke whales are generally more discreet, except, apparently, in the St. Lawrence. Young whales may breach as a form of play or to develop their muscles. Adult cetaceans, on the other hand, may breach to send messages to other whales of their kind or, possibly, to stun or scare their prey, rid themselves of external parasites or to breathe when the sea gets rough. So, even though some whale behaviour remains quite inscrutable—even to researchers—everyone agrees on one point: breaches are always spectacular.

Whales follow their bellies

Although frequently solitary, impressive groups of fin whales were once again reported feeding in the Estuary and off the Gaspé Peninsula. One portion of the Estuary, the head of the Laurentian Channel, is attracting record numbers of minke whales and grey seals. Meanwhile, although Pointe-Noire—at the mouth of the Saguenay—is usually a busy place for this species, minke whales are practically absent here. The Mingan Island Cetacean Study (MICS) reported six blue whales in their area. The amount of food, the areas where they gather and the types of prey they feed on are definitely what define cetacean whereabouts; the migratory species are in the middle of their intensive feeding season. The movements of resident, gregarious St. Lawrence beluga whales, on the other hand, are not exclusively motivated by a quest for food; social activities and the care of offspring occupy a lot of their time. It is therefore difficult to know what the beluga whales that constantly swim past Pointe-Noire, or up the Saguenay on a daily basis as far as Sainte-Marguerite Bay—30 km upstream— are doing.

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17 August 2006, vol. 10 n^o32

Massive, ancient migratory animals

Have you recently spotted a sea turtle in the Gulf or Estuary? This is a distinct possibility. As with sharks that are more frequently reported in the St. Lawrence due to a growing number of experienced observers, more and more turtles are being reported in our waters; a total of 45 documented sea-turtle sightings have been recorded so far in Quebec, some of these animals accidentally entangled in fishing gear. A network of stakeholders that includes scientists and fishermen was recently created by the group Amphibia-Nature to collect sighting information and scientific data on the marine turtles that visit the maritime portion of the St. Lawrence and the waters around Labrador. At least four of the seven known sea turtle species visit the waters off Eastern Canada: the loggerhead seaturtle, the Kemp's Ridley seaturtle, the green seaturtle and the leatherback seaturtle, the largest of all living sea and land turtles. This enormous migratory animal, which is threatened with extinction, can weigh as much as 900 kg and has been sighted as far upstream as Coudres Island in the Charlevoix region. So, what is it looking for here? It apparently has a taste for the Lion's mane jellyfish, an arctic red jellyfish that is also plentiful in the waters of the Gulf and Estuary. Please report any Quebec seaturtle sightings by dialing 1-877-UneLuth.

The big and the small of it

Hundreds of Atlantic white-sided dolphins visit the waters around the Gaspé Peninsula on a seasonal basis. This species is frequently seen in the Gulf and occasionally observed in the Estuary. Relatively coastal, white-sided dolphins are often seen in the company of humpback and fin whales. Case in point, the following scene was observed in Gaspé Bay this week: swarms of dolphins swam and leapt around five feeding fin whales. Researchers have often observed dolphins inciting large whales to accelerate in order to exploit the “bow wave” thus created in front of the whale. Is this a game or are the dolphins simply eating the same food as the whales? As a matter of fact, an observer from the Gulf has noted record numbers of capelin and sand lance this year, two fish species that are on the menu of both of these cetacean species.

A profusion of grey seals

An impressive number of grey seals (nearly 200) were spotted in the Estuary at the head of the Laurentian Channel this week. Grey seals were also abundant and feeding on mackerel off the Percé wharf. The grey seal—sometimes called the “horse-headed seal” due to its large, round, Roman snout—is the largest St. Lawrence seal; males can grow to over 2 m in length and weigh up to 350 kg. As can be expected, seals are more discreet in the water than whales, yet they are often seen in the same areas as the latter, where food abounds, along with large gatherings of seabirds. This profusion of animals is just another indication that the St. Lawrence buffet is particularly copious this year!

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24 August 2006, vol. 10 n^o33

The Gulf still teaming with cetaceans

The summer trend continues off the Gaspé Peninsula; overall abundance and a wide variety of species remain, as shown in our Map of Weekly Sightings. Beyond the odd basking shark and hundreds of white-sided dolphins, three blue whales were spotted near shore off Sainte-Anne-des-Monts and Matane. Meanwhile, numerous fin whales are still swimming in groups or alone in the areas of Anse-au-Griffon, Gaspé and Percé. When it comes to diversity and great whales, the Mingan area is not to be left out. Researchers from MICS (Mingan Island Cetacean Study) have reported at least 60 fin whales and over 20 humpback whales in their area, along with a dozen white-beaked (not to be confused with the white-sided) dolphins and swarms of harbour porpoises.

When Sept-Îles gets the “blues”

After several calm weeks in the Sept-Îles area, about ten minke whales, a humpback whale and approximately ten blue whales were spotted this week. Which just goes to show that patience is a virtue.

The small whale has now been joined by a large one

Another humpback whale has recently joined the small-sized humpback whale that had been on its own at the head of the Laurentian Channel since the departure of Siam and Tic Tac Toe, two area regulars. Although there are rumours that this new animal could be another regular visitor, the newcomer has yet to be formally identified.

“Striking” encounters that we would like to avoid

Does the presence of a large number of marine mammals in such a busy waterway as the St. Lawrence lead to frequent collisions between ships and animals? Truth be told, ship captains and pleasure boaters are not always aware of, or do not always report, ship strikes. Thus, a true account of the situation is incomplete, but it is troubling. At least one of the 18 cetacean-ship collisions reported in the Saguenay—St. Lawrence Marine Park area between 1992 and 2005 was fatal for the animal. Furthermore, a significant number of St. Lawrence beluga whale deaths are the result of these types of accidents: of the 175 beluga whale carcasses found on the shores of the St. Lawrence between 1982 and 2004, 11 deaths were caused by ship strikes. The most recent victims of human activity in the St. Lawrence include a minke whale named Santafin and a female fin whale, both of which bear lacerations typical of an encounter with a ship's propeller. Furthermore, park wardens recently discovered the carcass of a young hooded seal floating near Tadoussac; its belly was cut open by a ship's propeller. Possible solutions, either proposed or applied, to limit the probability of such accidents here and elsewhere include speed limits in certain high use marine mammal areas and the displacement of shipping lanes that pass through critical habitat. The latter solution was put into operation in 2003 to better protect North Atlantic right whales in the Bay of Fundy.

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31 August 2006, vol. 10 n^o34

Right whales off the Gaspé Peninsula: three's the charm?

The second North Atlantic right whale of the summer has been reported this week near Percé in the Gulf; the first was sighted in Chaleurs Bay in mid-July. Biologists from Boston's New England Aquarium were able to identify the whale using photos that were taken of callosities, which grow on the heads of these animals in patterns that are unique for every right whale. Listed as # 1323, a male that has been on file since 1983, it has never before been photographed in the St. Lawrence. The role the St. Lawrence in the lives of right whales is unknown. However, some thirty representatives of this endangered species, including several cow/calf pairs, have been photographed on one or several occasions in this waterway since 1994. This represents ten percent of the entire population! Reminder: if you encounter a right whale while sailing the St. Lawrence, report it immediately by dialing 1-877-722-5346.

A plethora of great whales

Large rorqual whales—blue, fin and humpback whales—have been plentiful throughout the maritime portion of the St. Lawrence this summer. Data collected by MICS (Mingan Island Cetacean Study) researchers reflect this reality in the Mingan Archipelago-Anticosti Island area (as shown on our observations map). In the Gulf this year, they have identified over 120 individual fin whales and noted 15 calves, witnessed unusual behaviour for this species, such as “porpoising” (half breaches on the horizontal plane), documented the return of blue whales to the Mingan area after a near-total 15-year hiatus, and observed approximately 50 different humpback whales, including 8 juvenile animals. Unforgettable encounters… and a lot of work! Source: www.rorqual.com

Sunny days…

Large, strange fish have been reported in the Gulf and Estuary this summer. Live fish have been noted this week off Percé and in a bay near Bic Provincial Park. Dead fish have been found beached near Rimouski, Trois-Pistoles and Cacouna in the month of August. All were ocean sunfish (Mola mola). This oval-shaped fish bears large dorsal and anal fins, but lacks a caudal fin. The posterior portion of its body is in fact cut short in a succession of curves, like the edges of a pie or the petals of a flower. In size it varies between one and one and a half metres in length and weighs between 100 and 200 kg, however it can grow to 3.4 m in length for a total weight of 900 kg. It is often noted lying on its side at the surface warming itself in the sun, hence the name. A pelagic species that is usually found in warmer waters, ocean sunfish are occasionally reported in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and less frequently in the Estuary.

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7 September 2006, vol. 10 n^o35

Sure signs

While autumn officially begins September 23, Mother Nature appears to have changed the rules somewhat. As revealed by sure signs of fall, the colourful season has already arrived in the Maritime portion of the St. Lawrence; trees along the coast have begun changing into their flashy colours. Also, the water has become remarkably limpid as the September sun gives off an intense light revealing marine mammals in their entire splendour. In these conditions, people at sea can contemplate the undulations of swimming whales from head to tail. And while autumn is a time of waning, this applies only to tourists, not whales; several tour operators have reported that they now see more whales than passengers! Large rorqual whales are counted by the dozen throughout the St. Lawrence, grey seals cause the water's surface to boil at the mouth of the Saguenay Fjord and dolphins are estimated in the hundreds off the Gaspé Peninsula… in short, nature is proving herself particularly generous weeks away from the “official” start of autumn.

Surprising behaviour

Whales spend nearly 90 percent of their time below the surface, revealing themselves but briefly when it comes time for them to breathe. Yet, they sometimes indulge in surprising surface behaviour, providing evidence of their true abilities. Among this week's displays were several breaches executed in repetition by minke whales and humpback whales in the Estuary—one whale leapt out of the water continuously for nearly two hours! Fin whales were seen poking their rostrums vertically above the surface as well as displaying their tails during surface feeding manoeuvres. The North Atlantic right whales spotted off Percé assumed a “banana” pose, both head and tail above the surface. Finally, the thirty-odd beluga whales, adult and young animals alike, that were noted in Sainte-Marguerite Bay could be seen alternately thrusting tails and pectoral fins skyward, logging —imitating a log—and “spy-hopping”.

Right whale overview

Right whales were once again reported off the Gaspé Peninsula this week. Four individuals were sighted and photographed by Whale News Network collaborators off Bonaventure Island. Shots of the animals' heads, which are adorned with callosities—raised roughened patches of skin—arranged in distinctive patterns, allow biologists from the New England Aquarium to identify these animals on an individual basis. This was the first recorded visit of these four whales to the St. Lawrence. The two other right whales identified in the St. Lawrence this year were a male (#1155), that had been previously spotted near Percé in 2002, and a female (#1604) who had visited the St. Lawrence on three prior occasions, twice accompanied by a calf. Little by little, each encounter contributes to a better understanding of the lives of these animals, answering key questions concerning the survival of this endangered species.

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14 September 2006, vol. 10 n^o36

The largest creatures on Earth

The St. Lawrence boasts over 10 different cetacean species every summer, including the two largest animals the planet has ever seen. The blue whale tops the scales at 100 tonnes for an average of 25 metres, while the fin whale averages 40 tonnes for an overall length of 20 metres. Both species have been quite plentiful in the Gulf and Estuary in recent weeks. It is estimated that some 25 fin whales, including four cow/calf pairs, are now present the Les Bergeronnes-Les Escoumins area. Last week's impressive spring tides appear to have had an effect on the animals; they have moved further downstream in the Estuary and appear to be swimming closer to the North Shore. Approximately 60 fin whales have also been reported in the Mingan-Anticosti area. And, as if their very presence was not enough, some of these animals are displaying impressive behaviour such as tail-slapping, whale-to-whale interactions and very dynamic swimming. Our observer from Sept-Îles reports nine fin whales, most of them in pairs. The Gaspé Peninsula is no stranger to this profusion. A dozen fin whales were reported surface feeding in the company of 200 to 300 Atlantic white-sided dolphins. As for the blue whales, although only four animals have been recently sighted in the Estuary, the northern portion of the Gaspé Peninsula appears to be teeming with them. Researchers from the Mingan Island Cetacean Study, who are working in the area, have reported between 20 and 40 blue whales off Rivière-au-Renard over the past two weeks.

Mother Nature's bounteousness

Whales remain abundant in the St. Lawrence. The 2006 whale-watching season has been grandiose and does not appear about to end. Autumn is often a time of strong winds, cold weather and rain. However, Mother Nature has been gentle with us, so far. The sun shines brightly, the seas remain calm and warm weather is an enjoyable constituent of most whale-watching excursions: good news for tour operators, tourists and researchers alike. Any eventual decision to dry-dock boats will depend more on weather conditions than on the presence of whales; St. Lawrence cetaceans do not seem to be in a hurry to purchase their winter migration return tickets. So, for those who may be thinking about throwing in the towel just because autumn is at our doorstep, think again. The clement weather and the abundance of whales make for great whale watching!

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21 September 2006, vol. 10 n^o37

Mother Nature changes Her mind

Exactly one week ago we wrote, “Autumn is often a time of strong winds, cold weather and rain. However, Mother Nature has been gentle with us, so far.” This Whale News Network bulletin was being printed just as Mother Nature was getting ready to change Her mind. Since the writing of those lines, the St. Lawrence Gulf and Estuary have been subjected to various episodes of strong East winds, heavy rains, dense fog and low temperatures. Some tour-boat operators were forced to remain wharf-side, while life offshore carried on. Whales simply have no choice but to deal with a marine environment that, to us, appears dangerous and hostile. They are well adapted to these conditions. When waves are high, whales surface higher, bringing their blow holes out of the water to breathe. They likely “read” sea conditions instinctively and adapt their breathing cycles accordingly, timing their breaths to coincide with the best time and place to surface. Whales have also frequently been observed to leap out of the water in high winds. Could this be a tactic to ensure a clear breath, free of wave splashes or could it be the wind beneath their wings?

Basking in the Bay

Two basking sharks visited Anse-à-Beaufils, near Percé last Tuesday. This fish species, which is the second largest fish in the world after the whale shark, has been regularly reported in the Mingan-Anticosti and Gaspé Peninsula areas over the course of the summer. Due to an abundance of plankton, the best time to see basking sharks is during the summer months. This cartilaginous fish is a fussy eater and feeds only on certain types plankton that include small crustaceans as well as invertebrate and fish larvae. Basking sharks are able to detect climate fluctuations that favour plankton blooms and thus discover the most productive areas. They possess very long gill slits equipped with comb-like structures known as gill rakers. Water enters the fish's mouth and passes through the gills that filter the plankton in a manner similar to the baleen plates of certain whales. Basking sharks lose their gill rakers in winter—they grow back in the spring—and migrate towards the ocean floor. Very little is known about how these fish behave during the cold season. Scientists believe that they either prey on benthic species or become dormant. Several basking sharks winter-over in the depths of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. These most recent sightings may be the last surface apparitions of these mythical giants for some time to come.

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28 September 2006, vol. 10 n^o38

Globe trotters on the run

The great whales of the St. Lawrence are on the run these days. No, they haven't begun their fall migration, they simply appear to be moving back and forth between the Gulf and the Estuary in order to take advantage of large quantities of food that persist in certain zones. The Tadoussac-Les Bergeronnes area is still quite popular with some 15 fin whales navigating these waters. There appear to be several newcomers, while other whales—that have been in the area for some time now—remain. Blue whales appear to have left the coastal regions of the Gaspé Peninsula and the Mingan Islands to move further upstream: they are reportedly more abundant in the Portneuf-sur-Mer area where around 10 of them have been recently spotted. These sightings corroborate MICS' statements that cetaceans have been moving around a lot in the St. Lawrence this past field season. Seeing as how they come into the St. Lawrence to feed during summer, their movements could be explained by a search for food and a change in territory to lessen competition with others of their species. Whale watchers can breathe easy: whales still have several weeks to think about food before the biological clock kicks in and pushes them to migrate towards their mating grounds.

Precious carcasses

The captain of a whale-watching vessel reported a beluga whale carcass drifting in the Tadoussac area to Saguenay—St. Lawrence Marine Park wardens on the morning of September 21. Approximately 15 St. Lawrence beluga whales are discovered dead every year. So far this year a total of 10 carcasses have been reported to the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network (1-877-722-5346). An entire team is put on alert when a carcass is signalled. An animal may be towed to shore and then transported to a necropsy room for a more detailed examination or simply be sampled on site depending on the state of decomposition of its carcass. Between 5 and 10 carcasses are thus transported to the University of Montreal's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Saint-Hyacinthe annually. The beluga whale that was discovered on Thursday was the third to be transported so far this season. The examination of carcasses found along the shores of the St. Lawrence between 1983 and 1999 have allowed researchers to determine the primary causes of death of this mammal. A proportion of 27 percent of adult deaths in this population are caused by cancer, 22 percent are caused by gastro-intestinal and respiratory infections due to parasites, while bacterial, viral and protozoan infections are behind 17 percent of deaths. The fresher the carcass, the more secrets it can reveal to veterinarians. The Emergency Response Network team would like to thank all witnesses whose rapid intervention and reporting allows researchers to acquire precious information about these animals.

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5 October 2006, vol. 10 n^o39

When do we see the tail?

The answer to this question is… it depends. It depends on the species, the individual whale and even the context! A humpback whale shows its tail practically every time it dives. This stocky whale is not very flexible and likely requires an extra swing to dive deep. For blue whales, fluking up appears to be a character trait. According to the Mingan Island Cetacean Study (MICS), 15 to 18 percent of St. Lawrence blue whales fluke up when they dive. As a matter of fact, one of the two blue whales spotted in the Gaspé area this week regularly brought its tail above the surface as it dove. Fin whales generally do not bring their tails out of the water; their long, supple bodies bend easily as they dive. The key word in that last sentence is “generally”. An observer from Percé reports seeing a fin whale that fluked up as it dove. This is a rare sighting, but one that was repeated several times this summer in the Tadoussac area and elsewhere. The whale in question appeared to have an injured tail stock, which likely explains its surprising behaviour. In August of 1997 off the Gaspé coast, several pictures were taken of a fin whale that was also in the habit of fluking up. The pictures show that half of the whale's tail had been sliced off, probably by a ship's propeller. In contrast, a humpback whale that was seen in Gaspé this week never once brought its tail flukes above the surface. Although humpback whales generally fluke up as they dive, this may depend on what the animal is doing at the time; a disturbed whale or one that is only undertaking shallow dives will not necessarily fluke up.

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12 October 2006, vol. 10 n^o40

The Whale Route… or rather the whales of the route

Recently, two experienced whale watchers decided to follow the famous Whale Route between Tadoussac and Pointe-des-Monts. Here is a brief summary of their expedition. Their first stop, at Cap-de-Bon-Désir, coincided with their first whale sighting: a minke whale swimming along the coast. The journey was off to a good start! Their second visit, a mere ten kilometres downstream, was at the Marine Environment Discovery Centre perched on Les Escoumins' rocky shore. This time they observed a humpback whale as well as a fin whale after a short wait of no more than 15 minutes. Resuming their trip, already quite satisfied, our intrepid voyagers decided to stop at the Portneuf-sur-Mer sand bar. Again, they were treated to some rather noteworthy observations. Along with the numerous species of seabirds along the shore, two species of seals—grey and harbour—accompanied them on a hike to the mouth of the river. After a cold and starry night at Pointe-aux-Outardes, our travellers halted at Baie-Comeau where they had been advised to stroll the Centre Boréal trails. This turned out to be good advice; from the top of a panoramic viewpoint they were able to admire three minke whales accompanied by a whole host of seals in Saint-Pancrace Bay set in the beauty of the autumn scenery! Not far from there the Whale Route proposed a pause at Pointe-à-la-Croix; a site that, while a bit hard to find, proved to be quite worth the effort when a minke whale graced them with its presence. Finally, their destination: Pointe-des-Monts, a magnificently rich site for ornithologists, history buffs and avid whale watchers! Picture scenes of a northern flicker, a lighthouse, a porcupine, minke whales, seals, scoters… and so much more! Decidedly, the Whale Route lives up to its name and offers up all kinds of surprises. A humpback whale surrounded by beluga whales greeted them upon their return!!!

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26 October 2006, vol. 10 n^o41

A mystifying mysticete

Monday, October 23 was a calm morning at Sainte-Anne-des-Monts on the shores of the St. Lawrence as an observer stood watching a northern gannet diving repeatedly to feed. Suddenly, an enormous, white balloon filled his binoculars, mystifying our contributor. This “balloon” put in three more appearances before the dark back of a minke whale emerged several times in a row. “I thought I was hallucinating!” reports our witness. As strange as it may seem, this balloon was likely the water-filled throat-pouch of a surface-feeding minke whale.

The minke whale belongs to the rorqual family of whales. Rorqual whales are characterized by the presence of a dorsal fin, baleen plates in their mouths and, most specifically, longitudinal throat pleats that can expand in the same manner as an accordion. The minke whale is the smallest of the rorquals, which include the blue whale, the fin whale and the humpback whale, among others. Minke whales sport between 50 and 70 pleats along their throats. They are also the most piscivorous in the rorqual family; they feed on a variety of fish, including capelin, herring and sand lance. Coastal visitors to the St. Lawrence, minke whales are regularly seen surface feeding: engulfing thousands of litres of water that are then filtered through their baleen plates. So as to ensure that each mouthful is worthwhile, minke whales frequently perform intricate manoeuvres aimed at surprising or herding prey. Mouth agape, they surge forward, usually on their side or back. Half of their black and streamlined tail may gracefully break the water's surface at this point, bearing an uncanny resemblance to the dorsal fin of a killer whale. Many whale watchers have made this mistake!

When a minke whale arcs it back, exposing its belly, the white ventral skin usually takes on a pinkish tint. In order to eliminate excess heat during intense physical activities (such as surface feeding) marine mammals have the ability to increase blood flow to the skin capillaries that are in direct contact with their cold environment, thus lowering body temperature. This explains the pink-tinged bellies of surface-feeding minke whales: their blood flows more freely just beneath the skin to help them avoid overheating!

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2 November 2006, vol. 10 n^o42

Where there is life, there is hope!

The end of the whale-watching season on the St. Lawrence is nigh : the final boat of the regular Tadoussac-Les Bergeronnes area fleet ceased all activity at the beginning of the week. But don't take this as an excuse to shut yourself in until spring! Here are a few shore-based sightings of the week to tempt you.

A beluga whale was reported near Tadoussac, a harbour seal in Tadoussac Bay, while minke whales and fin whales—up to five blows at a time—were visible all week long from the Dunes east of town. And whales were not the only wildlife noted in the area; ornithologists report a growing number of oldsquaw ducks, horned grebes and red-necked grebes. As if this weren't enough to satisfy shore-bound observers, a white-tailed deer became a part-time marine mammal when it crossed the Saguenay River on October 26. It was spotted near one of the ferries swimming towards Islet Point where it eventually climbed from the frigid waters and made its way back to its natural wooded habitat!

Further to the East, in the Les Bergeronnes area, a dozen beluga whales, a grey seal, between 600 and 800 black ducks and the passage of 2000 to 3000 oldsquaw ducks were reported on October 7 between 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.

Before heading across the St. Lawrence, a report from Longue-Rive where a northern gannet was sighted. Gaspé Bay was visited by approximately 30 harbour porpoises, three minke whales, two fin whales, three feeding blue whales and around 20 grey seals that hauled out of the water in the Cap Gaspé area. On Saturday, October 29, a harbour seal was seen patrolling the shoreline near Penouille.

Thus, the St. Lawrence is a lively place in early November: whales, seabirds and seals remain plentiful! So don't give up on exciting sightings, there is still so much life out there!

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9 November 2006, vol. 10 n^o43

A carcass worthy of interest

On Thursday, October 26, the carcass of a grey seal was discovered on the shores of Saint-Denis-de-Kamouraska, on the South Shore of the Estuary, and reported to the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network. This is nothing new. But, this particular seal had a tag attached to its tail and its pelt was marked with an X: likely the subject of a scientific study.

The study is part of a long-term programme led by Dr. Don Bowen who is a researcher at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography (BIO), the largest oceanic research centre in Canada. He has been interested in the survival and reproductive rates of male and female grey seals from Sable Island, Nova Scotia, since the early 1960s. The tag attached to this grey seal reveals that it was born in 1998.

Sable Island is one of two western North Atlantic grey seal mating grounds; the second is in the Northumberland Strait, between the Coast and Prince Edward Island. Seals can be found here from December through early February. The Sable Island colony of grey seals is listed as one of the biggest in the world. Aerial survey results from 1997 put the number of young seals at 25 000. The number of newborns has been increasing exponentially over the past 40 years; it doubles every six years.

The grey seal is the longest-lived of the pinniped species; a grey seal can survive to 40 years of age. The female gives birth to one pup at a time, every winter, following a gestation period of approximately 12 months. The female becomes sexually mature at the age of 4 to 5 years. Dr. Bowen's study suggests that she is able to bear pups into her late 30s and early 40s. The mother will nurse its pup for 15 to 16 days. During this period she will fast. Immediately after the nursing period comes the mating period. Grey seals observed in the St. Lawrence Estuary in summer are in their dispersion, moulting and feeding period. They travel 1200 km to come this far!

Cause of death of the animal discovered last week will remain a mystery; the tide pulled the carcass back out to sea. However, the information gathered by the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network has great scientific merit. To contact the Network: 1-877-722-5346.

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16 November 2006, vol. 10 n^o44

Beluga stories

November 7, 11:45 a.m., the Marine Mammal Emergency telephone is ringing: a mussel farmer is concerned about a beluga whale at the mouth of the Dartmouth River in Gaspé Bay. This is a rare sighting! Alas, the animal is swimming near 240 mussel lines spread across a 200-metre long stretch. Moreover, the animal appears to be disoriented. Will it be able to make its way back out to sea? The Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network requests that the witness monitor the situation. Meanwhile, Fisheries and Oceans Canada officers are placed on alert in case a problem arises. The beluga whale eventually leaves the area, without incident, two days later. At least 41 live cetaceans entangled in fishing gear have been reported in the St. Lawrence since 1990, two of these were beluga whales.

November 11, 12:30 p.m., the Marine Mammal Emergency telephone is ringing once again. The captain of the Rivière-du-Loup—Saint-Siméon ferry has spotted a beluga whale floating on its side, pectoral fin pointing skyward. The carcass is adrift three nautical miles south west of Rivière-du-Loup. Filmar, the team in charge of sampling and transporting beluga whale carcasses, is informed of the situation. No boats are available to retrieve the offshore carcass; they must wait until currents push it ashore. Depending on its state of decomposition, it may be sampled on site or transported to the University of Montreal's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine for a necropsy. Directed by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, this programme documents the health status and contaminant exposure of this population.

November 15, 11:00 a.m., a veteran Whale News Network observer is walking around Islet Point in Tadoussac. He is attempting to photograph purple sandpipers, winter visitors to the region, when he notices a dozen beluga whales milling at the mouth of the Saguenay River. The group contains both young and adult animals, one of them a well-known individual named Pascolio. With his camel-shaped back, Pascolio is without a doubt the easiest St. Lawrence beluga whale to recognize. GREMM researchers identified this whale for the first time in 1985 when it was but two or three years old. It has been observed every summer since this initial encounter. The malformation of Pascolio's back is called a lordosis, not a scoliosis, hence the name: pas scoliosis.

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23 November 2006, vol. 10 n^o45

A very sealy time of year…

The St. Lawrence is home to a total of four seal species: harbour, grey, harp and hooded. Their presence varies from season to season. While the harbour seal resides here year round, the grey seal is more of a summer visitor; the two other species arrive from the North in the fall and spend the winter. Consequently, the greatest variety of seals is now, when all four species occupy the St. Lawrence at the same time. A juvenile hooded seal—referred to as a “blue back” due to its grey-blue coat—visited the Tadoussac Dunes area on Tuesday. Two days later another representative of this same species was sighted off Islet Point, in the village of Tadoussac. On Thursday morning, at sunrise, a Network collaborator witnessed a rare sighting indeed: a dozen grey seals had hauled out at the base of the clay cliffs near Tadoussac. Grey seals more commonly rest on the strand, reefs and islands of the South Shore. Exhausted from their long migration, seals arriving from the north often haul out along the shoreline to rest. Such was the case of a harp seal that was seen resting on Friday, November 17 at Saint-Fabien-sur-Mer. Finally, a harbour seal made the news recently when it swam up the St. Lawrence as far as Beauport Bay near Québec City.

… and a whale of a time for cetaceans as well.

The Whale News Network team is thrilled to note that whales are still navigating the waters of the St. Lawrence! Beluga whales have been seen swimming about in groups of several dozen at a time near Tadoussac, while minke whales can still be seen from Islet Point and the Dunes where, incidentally, a fin whale was also recently spotted. A whale watcher suddenly became fascinated by large eddies in the water off the end of the wharf in Gaspé Bay at Grande-Grève, Forillon National Park. She was taken off guard when a humpback whale surfaced in the middle of the troubled water, a dozen metres from the wharf! To top it all off, the huge animal fluked up its tail as it dove before her eyes! A blue whale and several harbour porpoises were still patrolling Gaspé Bay at the beginning of the month. Minke whales are frequently spotted from the Gaspé Peninsula and one Network observers is thrilled to report having seen them off Sept-Îles and Mingan in recent days.

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30 November 2006, vol. 10 n^o46

There are those who leave, those who return and those who stay

There were no reports of great whales this week. On the other hand, there were minke whales here and there, beluga whales are still present in their summer range and seals… seals are everywhere! Most rorqual type whales have likely left the St. Lawrence, while harp and hooded seals have returned from more northerly latitudes. Beluga whales and harbour seals—the only resident marine mammal species—remain. Avian fauna is also following the rhythm; glaucous gulls and Iceland gulls have arrived for the winter along with oldsquaw ducks, goldeneyes and black ducks. Meanwhile, black guillemots, herring gulls and great black-backed gulls continue to form the local scene.

The white whales that populate our waters thrilled whale watchers this week at the mouth of the Saguenay River and in the area between Les Bergeronnes and Les Escoumins. As many as one hundred beluga whales were reported off the Pilot's Wharf on Tuesday; young and adult animals spent the entire afternoon swimming in circles. A minke whale also surfaced on Tuesday, surprising one of our collaborators who happened to be observing a late loon. The tardy fowl will likely be leaving the area shortly, following others of its species on their migration. When they eventually leave, the enchanting call of the loon will be silenced in Tadoussac Bay where a few stragglers still remain.

In addition, several seals were reported in various sectors: Saint-Fabien-sur-Mer, Beauport, Tadoussac, Ruisseau-Castor, to name but a few! To the delight of shore dwellers, seals in the latter two areas can often be seen lounging on the rocks.

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7 December 2006, vol. 10 n^o47

Total eclipse of marine mammals, with the exception of downtown Gaspé!

Our contributors are unanimous: Tadoussac, Portneuf-sur-Mer, Baie-Comeau, Ruisseau-Castor, Rivière-du-Loup…nothing. The waters are sometimes calm, sometimes agitated by the wind, but always whale-less. It is undeniable; December knocked at our doors and winter came in. A snowstorm this week even stopped one of our regular whale watchers from making his way to Forillon National Park, on the tip of the Gaspé Peninsula. Ice has not yet shown up, at least on the St. Lawrence. However, pack ice has formed at the mouth of the York River and a group of around 20 grey seals have set up camp, in downtown Gaspé!

The full moon effect

On December 5 there was a full moon. Inevitably, spring tides were not far behind; the tidal range was as much as 5.1 metres that day in Tadoussac. Islet Point, at the mouth of the Saguenay, disappeared underwater. The tidal phenomenon is due to the distortion of the ocean's surface under the influence of celestial bodies, namely the sun and the moon. The gravitational attraction of the moon is what “raises” the oceans. As the planet turns, we can observe the alternation of low tide and high tide. The sun also influences the tides, although to a lesser degree due to its greater distance from the Earth. When it is in alignment with the moon, tides are stronger: these are known as spring tides. This phenomenon coincides with the full moon and the new moon. On the contrary, when the sun and the moon are perpendicular, tides are less impressive: these are known as neap tides. This phenomenon coincides with the first and last quarters of the moon.

Historically, in the 1700s, a French botanist persuaded the Académie des sciences of the time that it was not the moon that was responsible for tides, but the melting (and night-time freezing) of the glaciers that were the cause. He went so far as to justify the greater amplitude of equinox tides by the combined action of the Arctic and Antarctic glaciers. Plato, a Greek philosopher who lived 400 years B.C., believed that the tides were produced by oscillations in the Earth. It was finally Galileo who finally cleared up the mystery in the 1600s based on the works of Copernicus. He described the origins of tides as resulting from the rotation of the Earth and its revolution around the sun.

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14 December 2006, vol. 10 n^o48

Common dolphin stranding, take 2.

On November 1, 2005 a short-beaked common dolphin stranded at Pointe-à-la-Garde, near the western limit of Chaleurs Bay. The recently deceased animal was transported to Tadoussac. Its skeleton will be added to the Marine Mammal Interpretation Centre and tissue samples were sent to researchers at the Maurice Lamontagne Institute (MLI-DFO).

A year has gone by and another short-beaked common dolphin has returned to the waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. This one came ashore at Métis-sur-Mer. On Saturday, December 9, the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network was advised that a cetacean carcass had stranded at Métis-sur-mer. It was described as a black and white, narrow- snouted, toothed whale with a well-defined, corn-yellow line running along the anterior side of its body. Even though this species is not on the list of 13 cetacean species that regularly visit the St. Lawrence, everything in this description pointed to it being a short-beaked common dolphin. Photos of the animal dispelled any remaining doubts! This “uncommon” dolphin also intrigued researchers from MLI-DFO who recovered the carcass with the assistance of ROMM, a non-profit organization based in Rivière-du-Loup. It is now resting in an MLI-DFO freezer; a necropsy will be carried out sometime this winter.

The short-beaked common dolphin, with its hourglass colouration pattern, is a magnificent cetacean. It is a gregarious species: groups can number in the hundreds and even thousands. It is commonly found in the tropical and temperate waters of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, which is why it is considered unusual in the cold waters of the St. Lawrence. Such a contrast in temperature may partially explain cause of death; the necropsy may reveal more information.

Curiously, the presence of this carcass also points to a magnificent sight that appears to have remained hidden from human observation. There is a good chance that this dolphin was part of a group made up of either others of its species or of white-sided dolphins, which are regular visitors to the St. Lawrence. There were dolphins frolicking in the Estuary last week! Are they still in the area? Will someone spot them? We can but hope…

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21 December 2006, vol. 10 n^o49

Holiday whales

On the eve of the New Year, the St. Lawrence is slowly donning its winter garb. Beluga whales still put in brief appearances at the mouth of the Saguenay River and seals dot the moderately icy shores of the St. Lawrence. The time for festivities is at hand; we will soon be gathering around laden tables and green Christmas trees while marine mammals will continue to discretely move about the St. Lawrence. What follows are Holiday sightings from the past two years. This should perk up interest and hope for our wintertime whale watchers!

January 3, 2005 Dreams of a white Christmas came true for several observers as small groups of beluga whales were sighted at the mouth of the Saguenay and in Tadoussac Bay on December 27 and January 3 respectively. Then, on January 12, approximately ten beluga whales were once again swimming near Alouettes Reef at the mouth of the Saguenay. There were several sightings of larger cetaceans reported over the Holidays in various regions of the St. Lawrence: three blue whales off the Pilot's Wharf, Les Escoumins, on December 24, two blue whales in the Sept-Îles area, ten great-whale blows on December 28 and 29 near Bonaventure Island and two blue whales swimming quite rapidly between Rocher Percé and Bonaventure Island.

12 January 2006 A land-based observer noted six fin whales from Cap-aux-Os and one fin whale from Petit Gaspé on January 3. A different observer spotted two blue whales with plenty of seals one nautical mile off Godbout on January 4 and approximately 10 beluga whales, including several young, grey individuals, 12 miles off Godbout on January 9 from aboard the Camille-Marcoux ferry. Three blue whales were also noted off Les Escoumins over the Holidays. Finally, several whale watchers from Les Escoumins have noted around a dozen beluga whales swimming near the ferry dock since Christmas.

The Whale News Network team is looking forward to returning in January to see if Santa Claus has been as generous with Santa Lawrence this year as he was last year!

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