The carcass of a small whale was spotted in the St. Lawrence River, about 45 kilometers northeast of Montreal on Thursday afternoon.
Teams were sent to the scene with two tasks: to secure the body and determine if it belonged to one of the two whales spotted in Montreal earlier in May.
As for the last question, “it’s more than likely”, according to Robert Misho, president of the Groupe de recherche et d’éducation sur les mammifères marins (GREMM), which has been watching whales for weeks.
The first small whale was first spotted on May 8, and was later joined by a second whale on May 11, both deviating about 450 kilometers upstream from their usual range.
It is alleged that both are under two years old.
Misho says his team received a picture of the dead whale from a fisherman around 10 a.m. Thursday. The image was taken in the waters near Contrecoeur, Que.
Misho has not seen the whale up close, but said that once the teams find him, the next step will be to confirm his identity.
GREMM researchers obtained this image of a dead little whale on Thursday morning in the St. Lawrence River, about 45 kilometers northeast of Montreal. (Image source: Ronald Gosselin)
The carcass is about five meters long – slightly larger than the estimated size of the two whales observed.
It had been 10 days since the two whales had been spotted.
“What happened to this whale in 10 days?” We are kind of puzzled, “said Misho.
This is a question that veterinarians at the University of Montreal will try to answer with an autopsy, but Misho says trying to learn something at this point can be difficult.
This is because researchers still do not know how long the whale has been dead.
“The water in the river is quite warm,” he said. “So the preservation of the tissue is not optimal.”
“Whether the animal died or sank, the body emerged again after decomposition [to the surface]? “
Researchers aren’t sure how long the animal has been dead, and this poses a serious challenge to veterinarians performing autopsies (Image source: Ronald Gosselin)
If the corpse has gone too far, so to speak, veterinarians may not perform an autopsy at all.
THE ENVIRONMENTAL WATERS
The St. Lawrence River is an inhospitable home for small whales, which are much more comfortable in salt water.
Different waters create different ecosystems, which means that it can be difficult for marine animals to find food.
Freshwater whales can also develop ulcers and skin problems. In 2020, when the waters of Montreal hosted a great humpback whale, researchers discovered its body covered with lesions caused by algae.
This whale “was literally covered in tons of algae on its body,” Misho said. Organic matter caused lesions on his infected skin.
“So, globally, it’s a hostile environment for whales.”
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