A small whale was spotted in the Sant Llorenç River about 45 kilometers northeast of Montreal on Thursday afternoon.
Teams have been sent to the scene with two tasks: to secure the carcass and determine if it belonged to one of the two whales observed in Montreal in early May.
As for the latter question, “it is more than likely to be,” according to Robert Michaud, chairman of the Marine Mammal Research and Education Group (GREMM), which has been monitoring whales for weeks.
The first minke whale was initially seen on May 8 and was later joined by a second whale on May 11, both about 450 kilometers upstream from their usual range.
They were both said to be less than two years old.
Michaud says his team received a picture of a dead whale from a fisherman around 10 a.m. Thursday morning. The image was captured in the waters near Contrecoeur, Que.
Michaud did not see the whale up close, but said that once the teams found it, the next step would be to confirm its identity.
GREMM researchers received this image of a minke whale that died Thursday morning on the St. Lawrence River about 45 miles northeast of Montreal. (Image source: Ronald Gosselin)
The carcass is about five meters long, slightly larger than the estimated size of the two whales being monitored.
The two whales had been seen for 10 days.
“What happened to this whale for 10 days? We’re a little baffled,” Michaud said.
It’s a question that veterinarians at the University of Montreal will try to answer through an autopsy, but Michaud says trying to learn anything at this point could be difficult.
That’s because researchers still don’t know how long the whale has been dead.
“The river water is pretty warm,” he said. “Therefore, tissue preservation is not optimal.”
“The animal died and sank, and after decomposition, the body floated again. [to the surface]? “
Investigators are unsure how long the animal has been dead, and this poses a serious challenge for autopsy veterinarians (Image source: Ronald Gosselin)
If the carcass is too far away, so to speak, veterinarians may not perform an autopsy.
HOSTILE WATERS
The Sant Llorenç river is an unwelcoming home for minke whales, which are much more comfortable in salt water.
Different waters form different ecosystems, which means that saltwater animals can be difficult to find food.
Freshwater whales can also develop ulcers and skin problems. In 2020, when the waters of Montreal hosted a large humpback whale, researchers recovered its body covered with algae-induced injuries.
That whale “was literally covered with tons of algae in its body,” Michaud said. The organic matter caused damage to his skin, which became infected.
“So globally, it’s a hostile environment for whales.”