Wayward seal surprises boys fishing on Montreal's South Shore in Kahnawake
Three boys out fishing on the South Shore of the Saint Lawrence River spotted a seal on Sunday morning, more than 1,000 kilometres from its natural habitat.
Roy Lahache is from the Kanien'kehá:ka (Mohawk) community of Kahnawake, and he was out with his friends fishing in the seaway, which runs parallel to the river when what appeared to be a harbour seal surfaced behind the St. Francis Xavier Mission Catholic Church in the community.
"There was a huge bass, and then out of nowhere, I saw something poke its head out of the water," said Lahache. "When we got closer, we noticed it was a seal."
The 13-year-old and his friends fish regularly in the area and have never seen anything like this before.
The boys ran along the shoreline, following the seal for several metres, but the seal went underwater and they lost it.
"It was crazy," said Lahache. "It was super crazy."
In August, seals tend to live in the Gulf of the Saint Lawrence, past the Gaspe Peninsula and closer to the Atlantic Ocean.
The seal is one of many visitors that have found their way off course and turned up in the Montreal area.
A small hooded seal popped up in Montreal in August 2020 and a bearded seal was spotted in Laval in June of that year.
A humpback whale became a sensation in the spring of 2020 as well, and in May of this year, two minke whales were spotted in Montreal.
The three whales all died before returning to their natural habitats.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.