A whale-watching tour in Quebec got up close and personal with a fin whale last weekend as the massive ocean mammal glided below the boat’s hull.
A French tourist visiting Canada posted three videos of the close encounter on Sunday in waters near Tadoussac, Que.
The video, shot by Eric Mouellic, shows a fin whale – the second-largest animal on Earth, after the blue whale – slowly swimming toward the boat. A few tourists shout in apparent delight as the whale opens its mouth wide, lifts a pectoral fin for a brief wave and dips just below the vessel.
There are an estimated 5,000 to 11,000 fin whales swimming in the North Atlantic, according to Fisheries and Oceans Canada, which has as a species at risk. Fin whales range from 20 to 27 metres in length and are known for their distinctive ribbed bellies and asymmetrical pigmentation on their lower jaw.
Located about 215 kilometres northeast of Quebec City, Tadoussac is a popular tourist destination known for being rich in marine life, including krill, small fish and whales.
