According to a marine mammal expert, a humpback whale has reached Montreal by way of the St. Lawrence River.
Earlier this week the whale was observed moving upstream under the Pont de Québec. It was near Montreal’s Jacques-Cartier Bridge by late Saturday morning.
“It is a very unusual situation,” said Robert Michaud, the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Network coordinator.
Michaud said this is the first time a humpback whale has made its way into the waters of Montreal as far as local marine biologists are aware.
“This is a first for a humpback whale. We already had a beluga in the Old Port in 2012, a minke whale reluctantly a few years ago and more frequently seals also ventured to Montreal,” Michaud said.
A group of journalists and passers-by gathered by Saturday’s bridge close waterways to see the dolphin. It emerged to gasps from the audience every couple of minutes, either spraying or flapping its tail.
The animal appeared to swim in the area but was slowly heading west.
“We don’t know why this animal made this journey. There are several hypotheses,” Michaud said, adding that the whale could have been following fish because it was hungry or confused.
“We have to recognize that mammals do that. Humans, whales and land mammals, sometimes they are vagrants that go in unusual places.”
“These journeys are usually a series of mistakes. But what is sure is that this animal doesn’t belong to this habitat.”
It appears that the whale has migrated from Tadoussac, where it resides in salt water. Michaud said it will live in fresh water, although it won’t be as safe as food and drink in Montreal.
There’s more sea traffic, too, which could cause stress or other harm.
Michaud said if they got more than 100 meters away, citizens might face a penalty, so he recommended holding at least 200 meters away.
Humpback whales are one of the large marine animals with a range of up to 15 metres. They are generally agile and gentle, Michaud said, but it could become dangerous for a small watercraft if one is stressed up.
A team from Michaud ‘s network is tracking it on water and it has been monitored over the last two days by Fisheries and Oceans Canada authorities.
He said that if the whale lasts only a few days in this environment, the whale will be safe, but that experts are hopeful it will start going north by Sunday.
