The health of one of the great ladies of the St. Lawrence River estuary is causing concern. Arriving too thin this spring, researchers fear the worst for the 27-year-old humpback whale seen every year since 1999 in the marine park.
The researchers found that in the fall, she left the estuary with many fewer pounds than usual.
“What we noticed is that last year she was already thin, whereas she should have been all big and round,” reveals researcher Robert Michaud, scientific director and president of the Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals (GREMM).
On l’ignore
Robert Michaud reported that she showed no signs of entanglement or collision when she was observed for the last time on June 5.
Although researchers who have been in contact with Tic Tac Toe are not entirely certain of the reasons behind his significant weight loss, a “chronic problem” is the hypothesis that seems to be the cause of his condition.
Its venerable age of 27 years for great whales is like forty or fifty for humans. “Tic Tac Toe is young. Individuals can live up to 50 or 60 years, and at that age, she could have continued to produce calves for several more years,” reveals Mr. Michaud.
Nature takes its course
In concert with the other stakeholders who act on the river, the GREMM made the decision to let “nature take its course”.
Robert Michaud says no steps will be taken to approach her and take samples to understand what is afflicting Tic Tac Toe. “Even if we had learned precisely, it would not have helped her,” he believes, adding that if she had been caught in a net, things would have been different.
“The problem with these animals is that we intervene too much in their lives, and if we intervened less, they would perhaps be in better condition,” judges the researcher. “There are things that can go wrong at any time in their lives,” adds the latter, “and that’s their life.”
A pioneer
The story of Tic Tac Toe is in some ways the story of the presence of humpback whales in the territory of the Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park.
There was only one individual in 1999 that appeared sporadically, although they were present further out in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and their population increased in the early 2000s.
“When populations increase, usually their distribution will expand and individuals will develop new feeding areas,” says Robert Michaud.
In 1997, Tic Tac Toe came with her mother and, thanks to her “explorer” temperament, several other individuals joined her over the years in addition to transmitting this culture to their calves. Their number today fluctuates between 30 and 60 individuals, even 80.
Small fish such as sand lance and capelin form generous schools in the estuary which constitute the main food source of humpback whales. “They discovered the snack bar. When you have a good spotyou have to keep it,” the researcher emphasizes with humor.
