There are now two whales in Montreal's St. Lawrence River
For the first time in more than a century, there are two whales in the waters off Montreal.
A second whale was spotted at around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday in the St. Lawrence River near the Maisonneuve neighbourhood.
It has joined another minke whale (pronounced "mink-ee"), which has been swimming in the waters outside Montreal since Monday.
A team from the Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals (GREMM) is pursuing the whale in an effort to trace its movements, which has ventured nearly 400 kilometres from its natural habitat.
GREMM president Robert Michaud told CTV News the last time there were two whales in Montreal's waters was 121 years ago, in 1901.
"This second observation is even more surprising than the first. The presence of a minke whale in this portion of the river is already a rare event in itself," said Michaud in a Wednesday press release.
"This second animal raises questions for which we do not yet have a clear answer, hence the importance of documenting these cases carefully."
The group also said it may have already spotted the second whale near Trois-Rivieres on May 9.
Little is known about the first whale's new accomplice and anyone who sees it is asked to call the Marine Mammal Emergencies number at 1 (877) 722-5346.
STICKING TO THE PLAN
The second whale's appearance is surprising to research teams keeping an eye on the first, but it hasn't altered their plans to keep it safe.
For now, surveillance will be maintained from the shore. Transport ships are regularly providing positioning information as researchers try to keep disturbances away from both of the animals.
"The intention is to give these two wild animals the best chance to find their way back and head back downstream," read a GREMM release.
According to the group's Wednesday update, the first whale is in good health and is swimming close to the city's shoreline.
Researchers will be keeping a close eye on the whales' whereabouts following the death of the city's last aquatic visitor in 2020.
While the whales' appearance in Montreal might be exciting for onlookers and marine-life enthusiasts, neither of them are supposed to be there.
"Freshwater is almost a hostile environment for a minke whale," Michaud told CTV earlier this week. "These animals usually swim in cold saltwater. They don’t encounter the pathogens or the algae that we find in a river like the St. Lawrence."
The first whale is likely no older than two years old and has grown to about 3.4 metres long. The GREMM has not yet released the dimensions of the second animal, but early observations suggest it would be small for an adult.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From essential goods to common stocking stuffers, Trudeau offering Canadians temporary tax relief
Canadians will soon receive a temporary tax break on several items, along with a one-time $250 rebate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
She thought her children just had a cough or fever. A mother shares sons' experience with walking pneumonia
A mother shares with CTVNews.ca her family's health scare as medical experts say cases of the disease and other respiratory illnesses have surged, filling up emergency departments nationwide.
Trump chooses Pam Bondi for attorney general pick after Gaetz withdraws
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump on Thursday named Pam Bondi, the former attorney general of Florida, to be U.S. attorney general just hours after his other choice, Matt Gaetz, withdrew his name from consideration.
Putin says Russia attacked Ukraine with a new missile that he claims the West can't stop
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Thursday that Moscow has tested a new intermediate-range missile in a strike on Ukraine, and he warned that it could use the weapon against countries that have allowed Kyiv to use their missiles to strike Russia.
Here's a list of items that will be GST/HST-free over the holidays
Canadians won’t have to pay GST on a selection of items this holiday season, the prime minister vowed on Thursday.
A one-of-a-kind Royal Canadian Mint coin sells for more than $1.5M
A rare one-of-a-kind pure gold coin from the Royal Canadian Mint has sold for more than $1.5 million. The 99.99 per cent pure gold coin, named 'The Dance Screen (The Scream Too),' weighs a whopping 10 kilograms and surpassed the previous record for a coin offered at an auction in Canada.
Video shows octopus 'hanging on for dear life' during bomb cyclone off B.C. coast
Humans weren’t the only ones who struggled through the bomb cyclone that formed off the B.C. coast this week, bringing intense winds and choppy seas.
Taylor Swift's motorcade spotted along Toronto's Gardiner Expressway
Taylor Swift is officially back in Toronto for round two. The popstar princess's motorcade was seen driving along the Gardiner Expressway on Thursday afternoon, making its way to the downtown core ahead of night four of ‘The Eras Tour’ at the Rogers Centre.
Service Canada holding back 85K passports amid Canada Post mail strike
Approximately 85,000 new passports are being held back by Service Canada, which stopped mailing them out a week before the nationwide Canada Post strike.