Two years after the visit – which ended tragically – of a humpback whale in the Old Port of Montreal, a minke whale was seen yesterday at the same place, not far from the Biosphere. Here’s what you need to know about the situation.
It is not known how the marine mammal was able to reach the metropolis, which is 400-500 km from its usual natural habitat, says Robert Michaud, director general of the Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals (GREMM).
“It happens that animals like whales or rorquals make a series of navigation errors and find themselves far from their natural habitat. Did he chase schools of fish? Is he sick? We don’t know,” he explains, adding that the phenomenon is observed occasionally.
The GREMM assumes, however, that the mammal arrived fairly recently in Montreal, since there are no particular signs of algae on its back. Moreover, the prolonged presence of the minke whale in fresh water could be problematic for its health, precisely because of these organisms which can stick to its skin and which it is difficult for the animal to get rid of.
The director general of GREMM, however, assures that volunteers from the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Network are on their way from Tadoussac to watch over the whale.