For the second time in as many weeks, a species of whale not often seen in the Maritimes has made its way to Cape Breton waters. People gathered on Tuesday at the marina in St. Peter’s, N.S., where the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) has confirmed two belugas have been spotted in the Bras d’or Lake. “My little girl and I are here from Ontario,” said Becky Haines, one of those who showed up at the marina for a closer look. “We saw this online and we decided to come and see the whale.” Capturing video of the animals from shore proved a bit difficult but 11-year-old Liam Groom was successful. “I started a video a couple of minutes ago,” Groom said as one of the belugas breached the water. “I think I just got him.” It was roughly a week and a half ago that a rare orca whale made an appearance at the Canso Causeway, which also drew crowds to nearby shorelines and resulted in photos and videos posted to social media. Some people who missed the orca made the trip to St. Peter’s – roughly a half hour drive away – to try to spot the belugas. In a statement to CTV Atlantic, DFO said belugas that end up in Maritime waters likely come from the endangered St. Lawrence Estuary population. “There was one in Ingonish quite a few years back,” said Joey MacDougall, who showed up at the St. Peters marina on Tuesday. In fact, there were at least two belugas who spent several days off the coast of Ingonish, N.S., in July 2018. Shortly before that, a pod of seven orcas was captured on video by Fisheries officers. The belugas near Ingonish eight years ago seemed interested in people, but MacDougall remembers that some folks got too close. “People used to swim out, they would hold onto him,” said MacDougall. “I think they (authorities) got after them for that because he’s a wild animal.” DFO added it is important for belugas’ safety not to interact with them and to follow the Marine Mammal Regulations by staying at least 100 metres away. In a Facebook post, the Marine Animal Response Society added people should not venture out on boats specifically to look for the animals. “This animal is a member of the St. Lawrence Estuary beluga population which is listed as Endangered under Canada’s Species at Risk Act. Based on photos shared with us, this individual appears to be in poor body condition, making it especially vulnerable,” reads the post. “Approaching or disturbing marine mammals is prohibited under the Marine Mammal Regulations of the Fisheries Act. Belugas are also further protected from disturbance and harassment under the Species at Risk Act. Giving these animals space is one of the best ways to help protect them.” For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
