A Whale Was Spotted Swimming Past Montreal In The Saint Lawrence River (PHOTOS & VIDEO)
Montrealers looking toward the Saint Lawrence River might have gotten a big surprise. The Groupe de recherche et d'éducation sur les mammifères marins (GREMM) has confirmed that a humpback whale swam past Montreal up the Saint Lawrence River on Saturday. The whale was first spotted around 8:30 a.m. near Montréal-Est and by 11:00 a.m. had made it to the Jacques Cartier Bridge, according to the organization's Facebook posts.
Earlier in the week, a whale was spotted in the vicinity of Quebec City. At the time, the GREMM stated that that was the farthest upriver a whale of that size had ever been spotted.
"There have been previous reports of minke whales and beluga whales, but never for this species," the organization wrote in a statement.
"An adult humpback whale measures between 13 and 17 metres long and can weigh up to 40 tonnes."
On Saturday in Montreal, an intervention team from the Réseau québécois d’urgences pour les mammifères marins (RQUMM) was on-site to "assess the animal's condition."
Fisheries and Oceans Canada officials are also "patrolling the area to document the situation and ensure that the 100-metre distance between vessels and the whale is respected."
Photos and videos shared with MTL Blog by the GREMM document the whale's journey up the Saint Lawrence and past Montreal.
The whale's tail is seen popping out of the water near familiar Montreal landmarks like the Old Port clocktower.
[rebelmouse-image 26884873 alt="Montreal's Whale Was Probably Killed When It Got Hit By A Boat" photo_credit="R\u00e9seau qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois d\u2019urgences pour les mammif\u00e8res marins | Courtesy of the GREMM" expand=1 original_size="1620x1080"] Réseau québécois d’urgences pour les mammifères marins | Courtesy of the GREMM
[rebelmouse-image 26884906 photo_credit="Daniel Patry | Courtesy of the GREMM" expand=1 original_size="1200x630"] Daniel Patry | Courtesy of the GREMM
[rebelmouse-image 26885025 photo_credit="R\u00e9seau qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois d\u2019urgences pour les mammif\u00e8res marins | Courtesy of the GREMM" expand=1 original_size="1620x1080"] Réseau québécois d’urgences pour les mammifères marins | Courtesy of the GREMM
It appears to have made several appearances at the surface.
Video shows the whale as it passed Sorel-Tracy, about 90 kilometres northeast of Montreal, on Friday, May 29.
The video was taken by one Simon Ferland.
Humpback whale swims near Sorel-Tracey, QuebecPhotos from Fisheries and Oceans Canada show the whale in the area of Trois-Rivière on May 28.
[rebelmouse-image 26885026 photo_credit="Fisheries and Oceans Canada | Courtesy of the GREMM" expand=1 original_size="5184x3456"] Fisheries and Oceans Canada | Courtesy of the GREMM
[rebelmouse-image 26884880 alt="Here's Why Montreal's Whale Couldn't Be Saved" photo_credit="Fisheries and Oceans Canada | Courtesy of the GREMM" expand=1 original_size="5184x3456"] Fisheries and Oceans Canada | Courtesy of the GREMM
The GREMM encourages anyone who spots the whale "in the Fluvial Estuary sector (from Quebec City to Montreal)" to call 1 877 722-5346 "without delay."
[rebelmouse-image 26884874 photo_credit="R\u00e9seau qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois d\u2019urgences pour les mammif\u00e8res marins | Courtesy of the GREMM" expand=1 original_size="1620x1080"] Réseau québécois d’urgences pour les mammifères marins | Courtesy of the GREMM
There's sure to be more news about the animal's unprecedented journey into Quebec.
