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| Minke Whales of the St. Lawrence |
| Help researchers identify individual minke whales and to study their feeding behaviors. |
     
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On The Expedition Each day (weather permitting), you'll venture out in a rigid-hull inflatable boat and help to collect general data on all marine mammals sighted and specific data on the identification and feeding behavior of minke whales. During outings lasting two to six hours, you will be introduced to species and behaviors, and learn to time and record scientific data (surfacings, identity, GPS positions). You will also have enough time to make your personal observations and take photographs. On land, you will learn more about the lives of whales and our study results through a variety of lectures, and you will help to transcribe your data into the database. In the evenings, campfires under starry skies and possibly a display of northern lights will make your experience unforgettable. Recreational activities include walks to local lookouts where you can observe and listen to whales from shore, visits to the whale museum, the use of our library, and local music concerts. Meals and Accommodations Volunteers stay in the ORES research center, a spacious 100-year-old farmhouse with kitchen, lecture hall with TV and library, conventional bathroom and additional pit toilets while showers are provided at the nearby campground. You will share wooden cabins with bunk beds, electricity, heat, water and sink. Volunteers will prepare their own breakfasts and lunches, while dinners will be prepared by a cook. Snacks, fruit, and beverages such as hot tea, coffee, and hot chocolate will always be available. More Information 
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Research Summary St. Lawrence Estuary, Quebec Province, Canada — An extraordinary diversity of seabirds and marine mammals (seals, porpoises, and beluga, humpback, finback, and blue whales) congregate in the nutrient-rich waters of the Saguenay-St.Lawrence Marine Park each summer. The main focus lies on the smallest rorqual species, the minke whale often found close to the shore, making these protected waters an ideal site for studying these little-known cetaceans. To entrap and engulf schooling fish, they apply unique (and to observers highly attractive) maneuvers jumping way out of the water. Now targets of commercial whaling, minke populations are also exposed to the effects of human activities such as overfishing, climate change, or whale watching. Help cetacean researcher Ursula Tscherter collect much-needed scientific data to create better conservation plans for minke whales. Meet the Scientists  Ursula Tscherter Ocean Research and Education Society |
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About the Research Area Downstream from Québec City the river and islands of the St. Lawrence support an abundance of marine life, including one of the most accessible concentrations of marine mammals in the world.Worldwide, the St. Lawrence Estuary may well be the best place to watch and study minke whales due to their abundance, close proximity, high site fidelity, high re-sighting rates, and unique feeding behaviors in rather protected waters. The shore is covered with conifers, birch, maple and poplar trees which in fall turn into a colourful carpet of green, yellow, orange and red, the famous Indian Summer. At several exposed sites, the trees stay further back exposing round rock faces shimmering in soft red, brown and grey. These sites provide wonderful lookouts where the land drops almost vertically into the water. Due to this topographic feature, one can sit on the sanded rocks while watching whales and seals passing by within less than 50 m. The coast along the Saguenay Fjord, always less than 1000 m apart, however offer a different situation. Its steep underwater walls continue above water creating an impressive surrounding with vertical cliffs and waterfalls. People from Québec are of French and western culture origin. They are very pleasant and open minded. They take life easy and with great humour. Meeting each other in the evening to enjoy a beer and local music is very important which our volunteers will experience when visiting the little village of Tadoussac. |
Fact Sheet
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Locations shown are approximate.
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