The Whale News Network is a weekly compilation of the "whale-watching" experience in the St. Lawrence Estuary and Gulf. Seasoned observers provide you with their weekly wildlife reports.

14 August 2008, vol. 12 n^o29

Two dolphin species

White-beaked dolphins rarely visit the Estuary. There have been few reported sightings in the past 20 years, with the most recent ones dating back to 2005 and 2000. A small group of four white-beaked dolphins was observed by a Portneuf-sur-mer tour operator. For him, there was no doubt that these were white-beaked dolphins; he had plenty of time to observe them as they porpoised on the wake of his inflatable. White-beaked dolphins are most abundant in the northern portion of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. From the wheelhouse of their ship, the Forestville-Rimouski ferry crew spotted four Atlantic white-sided dolphins near Rimouski. These dolphins can be seen on occasion in the Estuary, more frequently in the southern portion of the Gulf, and notably near the Gaspé Peninsula where tour operators are presently awaiting their arrival. But, how does one tell these two species apart? The white-beaked dolphin is larger, its body more massive and robust. While the tip of its snout is not always easy to see, the absence of a yellow band on its flank is what distinguishes it from the Atlantic white-sided dolphin.

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