Selected sites and additional readings

• Our favourite sites
• Our recommandations
• Sites for fanatics!
• Selected reading

Our favourite sites

• WhaleNet
  Activities for schools and the general public to learn about whales and the work of research scientists. In English, with certain areas available in Spanish, Portuguese, German and French.
• Orca Live
  Listen in live on orcas from Canada's West Coast. You may even get a glimpse of them via underwater cameras.
• The Whalesong Project
  Does whalesong enchant you? Try this site.
• Expert System Demos: Whale Watcher
  You have seen a whale and would like to identify it! Try this interactive questionnaire, with pictures.
• Whale-Watching-Web
  Site directory for whale watching worldwide.
• Vancouver Aquarium site
  For information on marine mammals, marine life, current events,...
• Océanopolis
  A magical site for the discovery of the oceans and their inhabitants. In French.

Our recommandations

• Biosphère Ecowatch Centre
  The Biosphère is devoted to increasing knowledge of the environment, water and ecosystems, in particular those of the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes. In English and French.
• The St. Lawrence Observatory
  The goal of the St. Lawrence Observatory is to provide access to data and facilitate its dissemination. With a web site entirely dedicated to this large open-air laboratory, the St. Lawrence Ecosystem, the OSL provides a location for all interested organizations and scientists to exchange and make available scientific information, thereby maximizing its use.

Sites for fanatics!

• Society for Marine Mammalogy
  The Society for Marine Mammalogy publishes the quarterly journal Marine Mammal Science and sponsors a biennial conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals. This site includes a list of very useful advice for people seeking a career in marine mammal science.
• International Whaling Commission
  Site of the only official international organization recognized for the management of whaling. Mission, history, member nations, list of scientific publications and summaries of resolutions passed during annual meetings.
• MARMAM email discussion list
  A site that provides instructions on how to subscribe to the MARMAM list. The list is managed by a good editorial policy. On a daily basis, members receive approximately five messages that deal with marine mammals. The types of messages include job opportunities, press releases, lists of recent scientific publications, forums, and a weekly review of the current news events. Questions may be submitted to MARMAM members.
• High North Alliance
  A group that defends the right to whaling. The site tries to present facts and objective views on whaling. Frequently updated. A recent addition: A Greenpeace and High North Alliance dialogue between respective members to discuss whaling issues.
• Marine Mammal Protection Act bulletin
  A quarterly newsletter published by the National Marine Fisheries Service of the United States. It presents an interesting overview of matters pertaining to marine mammals. PDF versions are available at that address. Additional information is also available.

Selected readings

• Béland, Pierre. 1996. Beluga: a farewell to whales. Lyons & Burford Publishers, New York.
  This book tells the story of the St. Lawrence Beluga, an animal that once flourished but is now threatened. Pierre Béland is one of the research scientists that worked to bring to light the precarious health status of this marine mammal. (Also available in French.)
• Fontaine, Pierre-Henry. 1998. Whales of the North Atlantic: biology and ecology. Éditions MultiMondes, Sainte-Foy, Québec.
  A reference book on whale biology that includes fact sheets on the North-Atlantic species. Filled with pictures of dissections and animals in their natural habitat. (Also available in French.)
• Hoyt, Erich. 1991. Meeting the whales: the Equinox guide to giants of the deep. Camden House Publishing, Camden East, Ontario.
  Placed within the children's book category, this book inspired by seasoned research scientists will surely please all natural history buffs. Each whale species of the world is used as a pretext to bring the readers face-to-face with the typical and uncommon behaviour of whales.
• Hoyt, Erich. 1992. Riding with the dolphins: the Equinox guide to dolphins and porpoises. Camden House Publishing, Camden East, Ontario.
  This book is a complement to Meeting the whales, from the same author. It provides information on all the different dolphins and porpoises of the world.
• Katona, Steven K., Valerie Rough, and David T. Richardson. 1993. A field guide to whales, porpoises, and seals, from Cape Cod to Newfoundland, fourth edition, revised. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington.
  More than just a field guide, this book provides a comprehensive overview of the scientific research findings related to selected species. A bibliography of scientific articles is included.
• Michaud, Robert. 1993. Rencontres avec les baleines du Saint-Laurent. GREMM, Tadoussac, Québec.
  Written specifically with the St. Lawrence in mind, this book presents the whales and the scientific efforts to understand them better . It includes an identification guide. Lots of photos! (Available in French only.)
• Rossignol, Anne. 1998. L'estuaire maritime et le golfe du Saint-Laurent : Carnet d'océanographie. Institut national de la recherche scientifiqueÑOcéanologie, Rimouski, Québec. A book that effectively popularizes as well as provides general information on the oceanography and the recent scientific findings pertaining to the Òsmall oceanÓ formed by the Lower Estuary and Gulf of the St. Lawrence. (Available in French only.)
• Sylvestre, Jean-Pierre. 1998. Guide des mammifères marins du Canada. Broquet, l'Acadie, Québec.
  Fact sheets on 48 marine mammals, including classification, characteristics, biology, and distribution range. This book also provides information on sites in Canada where these animals may be observed as well as a list of contacts. (Available in French only.)