These two species are often found in the company of fin whales. Curious and playful by nature, they love to ride the bow wakes of passing boats. Both species visit the Gulf on a regular basis, but the White Beaked Dolphin appears to be the more northerly ranging of the two.
I want to know more
"But dolphins live in warm waters!" is a common reaction when people hear that there are dolphins in the St. Lawrence.
For nearly two weeks in the summer of 1992, a herd of approximately 200 Atlantic white-sided dolphins patrolled the Estuary between Les Escoumins and Tadoussac. The herd could be seen moving in tight formation from several kilometres away. The surface of the water was churned to an impressive froth by the rapid movement and continual breaches of the dolphins. Judging by the dozens of gulls flying attentively overhead, the dolphins were actively pursuing schools of fish. On occasion they were seen swimming in front of fin whales, a behaviour similar to "bow riding" of boats. Was this a game, or were they sharing the same food?
Two species of dolphins are found in the waters of the St. Lawrence: the Atlantic white-sided dolphin and the White Beaked Dolphin. Their presence in the Estuary is exceptional and usually brief. However, they are often seen in the Gulf from spring to fall.
