The Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network
Death of a giant in the Estuary

Fin whale carcass: the investigation into the red tide phenomenon continues and the CIMM’s skeleton collection will make a new acquisition

The carcass of a 15-metre-long fin whale will undergo a post-mortem examination to determine whether or not August’s red tide had anything to do with its death. The costly operation, which requires the energy and drive of numerous partners, will include the recovery of the animal’s skeleton. It will be added to the Marine Mammal Interpretation Centre’s already extensive collection in Tadoussac. This is an exceptional occasion to nurture public fascination and raise awareness about the beauty and fragile nature of these giants of the St. Lawrence.

The Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network was advised on Wednesday that the carcass of a whale had been seen drifting off Tadoussac. GREMM researchers, who are pursuing long-term research on St. Lawrence fin whales, took samples for genetic testing, as well as all the required photographs. However, this fin whale also turned out to be of particular interest to several of the Network’s partners: it presented an opportunity to verify whether the bloom of toxic algae that marked the summer of 2008 had affected another level of the food chain, the one occupied by baleen whales. The “red tide” incident observed this past August caused most of the recorded deaths during this period. These included several thousand seabirds, fish (smelt, sand lance and sturgeon), around 100 seals, at least 10 beluga whales and several harbour porpoises. This fin whale may also have been struck by a ship. If this was the case, it does not necessarily exclude the possibility of intoxication; the toxin produced by red algae affects the nervous system and can render marine mammals more susceptible to ship strikes.

Assisted by a team from the Saguenay—St. Lawrence Marine Park, the Canadian Coast Guard towed to the carcass to the Les Bergeronnes marina on Thursday. There, the GREMM took charge and coordinated the complex operation that consisted of transporting it to a site that will serve as an open-air laboratory: the Ferme 5 Étoiles near Sacré-Coeur. This operation was made possible thanks to the support of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Saguenay—St. Lawrence Marine Park and the Fondation de la faune du Québec.

Two technicians and a veterinarian from the University of Montreal’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine will proceed with the post-mortem examination to document the animal’s state and possible cause of death. Analyses to detect the presence of the toxin will be carried out by Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the National Research Council of Canada’s Institute for Marine Biosciences, in Halifax. The GREMM team, surrounded by numerous volunteers, will take on the challenge of cutting up the whale in order to eventually clean the bones and mount the skeleton, which will be exposed at the CIMM (Marine Mammal Interpretation Centre) in Tadoussac. An account of the examination and cutting up operation, which should take two days, will be updated on this page.

The whale measured 15 m in length for an approximate weight of 40 tonnes. This species is abundant in the St. Lawrence. There are presently around 20 fin whales in the Tadoussac-Les Bergeronnes-Les Escoumins area.

The first stage went off like clockwork!

Twenty hours of work for over twenty people were required to complete the first stage of the work on this fin whale’s carcass: a post-mortem examination by veterinarians and the cutting up to recover the skeleton for educational purposes.

The examination has not yet allowed researchers to determine cause of death. However, it does not appear to be due to a ship strike. The role of a possible saxitoxin intoxication remains to be clarified. Results from analyses conducted by veterinary pathologists from the University of Montreal’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and chemists from Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the National Research Council of Canada’s Institute for Marine Biosciences will be known in a couple of weeks.

All of the skeleton’s bones have been cleaned of any meat and will be stored in bins at the Ferme 5 Étoiles in Sacré-Coeur. Mother Nature will take over for the next stage in the cleaning process. The GREMM team will perform a more in depth cleaning in the spring in order to remove the fat. Whale bones are veritable sponges. Plans will be made over the course of the winter for the eventual mounting and exposition of the skeleton.

This adventure was made possible thanks to the efforts of a dynamic group of partners and volunteers!

Sighting and towing
Coordinated by the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network

Thanks to
The Saguenay—St. Lawrence Marine Park whale-watching industry
The shipping traffic control station located in Les Escoumins
Saguenay—St. Lawrence Marine Park
Canadian Coast Guard

Transport
Coordinated by GREMM

Thanks to
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Saguenay—St. Lawrence Marine Park
Fondation de la faune du Québec
Les Bergeronnes yacht club
SOS Saguenay
Transport Janifer
Gérard Lamarche Garage in Tadoussac
Les Bergeronnes’ fire brigade
Sûreté du Québec
ORES Centre

Post-mortem examination and subsequent analyses

University of Montreal’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
National Research Council of Canada’s Institute for Marine Biosciences
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
The support of the cutting up team

Cutting up
Coordinated by GREMM

Thanks to
Ferme 5 Étoiles of Sacré-Coeur
Explos-Nature
Observatoire d’oiseaux de Tadoussac
Katimavik
ORES Centre
Dominic Tremblay (a passing tourist volunteer!)
Saguenay—St. Lawrence Marine Park