Boaters spot rare glimpse of endangered ‘gentle giants’ in Canada. ‘Most amazing thing’
Elizabeth Inrig and her brother Mike were drifting down the Saint Lawrence River in Canada when they spotted something unusual.
The siblings were heading toward Mont-Louis, a municipality in Quebec, to anchor for the night when Mike thought he saw a blue whale, Inrig told McClatchy News. Then he noticed that the creature didn’t have a fin.
Inrig said there were at least three or four massive North Atlantic right whales near their boat.
“It was the most amazing and awe-inspiring thing I’ve ever seen, and I’m still feeling pretty overwhelmed by the experience,” Inrig said in an Aug. 31 Facebook post.
Inrig reported her sighting to the Fisheries and Oceans Canada database. A map of the sighting shows the whales were spotted close to shore.
North Atlantic right whales are among the world’s most endangered species after they were hunted by commercial whalers until the early 1890s, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Experts estimate there are less than 350 left in the species.
“It seems that it’s very rare to see them so far upriver,” she wrote in her post.
The whales are typically found in Atlantic coastal waters along the continental shelf, but they sometimes travel far offshore. In the spring, summer and fall they can be found near New England and in Canadian waters, NOAA said.
A video Inrig posted shows one of the whales diving into the water and blowing from its blowhole.
Social media users shared Inrig’s awe of the creatures.
“They are amazing animals! Awesome encounter!” one person commented.
“What an absolute privilege for you to experience such an amazing encounter with these gentle giants,” another commenter said.
“So cool!” another comment said.
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