Local Guide, Naturalist & Biologist Speak About Animal Behavior & Searching For The Elusive Beluga & Blue Whale
Traveling up into the deep waters of Quebec Maritime near the town of Tadoussac, 3 hours north of Quebec City, the beauty of the water becomes clear. In a location that straddles the edge of the boreal forest and a huge fjord, whales both migrate and live with the elusive beluga and even the massive blue whale making appearances. The Buzz sat down with Julie Labreche and Agathe Poitras, guide captains at Croisieres AML as well as biologist Michel Martin from the Martine Mammal Interpretation Centre & Museum locally to talk about the impact of the whales and key elements of finding and enjoying their presence.
The Buzz: Where is the balance between making sure the guests see the whales but also traversing safely out here because you need to know how the whales act?
Julie Labreche (Captain): I have the stress. I have to find whales for people, and they pay for that. But it's all about interpretation because we can't really study a whale. It's so huge and it doesn't fit in any aquarium. But every day you get used to them, you see patterns. They always come back at the surface, breathe, eat 3, 5, 10 times and then go down. But most of the time let's say when they dive and they head that direction. So I can predict movement but it's not always true though.
The Buzz: We saw baleen whales approach the shore almost like the porpoise does to sort of corner the food.
Agathe Poitras (Naturalist): So they push the fish along the shore so the fish can go nowhere. The whales arrive and have a big gulp of water and food. The baleen has plates in their mouth and they have to catch fish and water. And this water is salt water. They push the tongue up with the pressure, the water goes out and the food stays back in.
The Buzz: Do they don't drink the salt water?
AP: No. Like with us.
The Buzz: What's your perception of the best way to do a guide trip?
AP: We never know. It's so different every hour, Every season. Sometimes there's no whales. But all the captains talk together so we know if there's any action in one specific area. But when you're with the people on board the Zodiac, it's only with your eyes, where you see the back, you see the big blow on the fountain, it's not water but air...condensation.
The Buzz: As a biologist looking at this area of the Saint Lawrence, why is it good for all the whales to be here, especially the beluga?
Michel Martin (Biologist): For most of the species that come to the Saint Lawrence, it's a feeding ground. Beluga are a little different because they live in the Saint Lawrence, but all the other species come because of food supply. Actually, we are pretty lucky, the tide, the current, and the movement of all that water in the Saint Lawrence within this area makes it possible for a good amount of food that gets stuck. It's not necessarily created all here, it just travels along the Saint Lawrence from the Gulf. So it's like fishing in a barrel for the whales.
The Buzz: Now every single whale that's here has different behavior, how they hunt?
MM: Exactly. They share many things in common, but each species is different. They're all predators, and pretty good hunters. Minke whales will come close to the coast using the rocks pretty much like a trap. Large fin whales, when they're feeding upon big clouds of krill, they won't be moving around that much. They just go with the flow and they hunt alone. Each one minds their own hunting. But if they're going for fish, like capelin, they're harder to get. So [at times] they seem to be regrouping. You can see many hunting together, synchronizing their diving. We don't know if there's any collaboration, or if it's a competition, but there's definitely something happening down there.
The Buzz: How do the whales eat in the fjord versus the river shoreline versus the fjord. You were saying that the whales that are much more experienced know how to traverse the fjord.
JL: In the fjord, they are going against the currents to eat off shore. The food's drifting so they have to come quick. They have to use some skills to get fed.
The Buzz: The water is very cold here. What's the crucial thing you have to remember as a captain?
JL: Respect. Respect of the wildlife, and the people as well. You try to join both. People want a show. But we have to preserve. We are here for preserving what we have.
The Buzz: Understanding the natural environment and how we both affect it and how the animals live through it, is very important to this region?
AP: So every season whales comes here to feed between May and October. Why there is so much food for the whales here is because of the temperature in the water, the current and the depths. With these whales we have many rules, we have to respect. We need to be very slow with a boat when we approach the whales. We have a limit, 100 meters, between the whales and the boat. Sometimes whales come closer. But say with the Beluga, it is an endangered species. It's [primarily] in the St. Lawrence. So more rules. The limit is 400 meters. The same with the Blue Whale, We know that whales stay here, eat a lot and stay for few minutes under the water then come back up to breathe.
The Buzz: What certain points should people know about whales in this region, or perhaps misconceptions?
MM: The whales are travelers. They come for a certain time of the year, so they're not always in the same area. During winter you might see some animals in the Gulf of the Saint Lawrence. It's not impossible, fins or blue. But here in the estuary, it would be really unusual. But it's all biological. It's also part of why the Saint Lawrence is special for the whales. For certain species like the beluga, for example, they feel like this is a little bit like the Arctic. Beluga give birth to their young on the Saint Lawrence, mostly, In the weeks to come [July], you might see some newborn, some new babies. As humans, of course, we enjoy their presence. We are curious animals ourselves. But we have to be careful because every time we are in an environment, we always just lay down a trace.
Tim Wassberg
A graduate of New York University's Tisch School Of The Arts with degrees in Film/TV Production & Film Criticism, Tim has written for magazines such as Moviemaker, Moving Pictures, Conde Nast Traveler UK and Casino Player. He enjoys traveling and distinct craft beers among other things.
Make Sure To Stay At:
The Tadoussac Campground, which is perched on a mountainside with 200 campsites and a panoramic view of the St. Lawrence River and the Saguenay fjord. They also have ready-to-camp sites, each of which has a tent installed, with one bedroom, two beds and several amenities to ensure comfort.