How to Locate & Track Beluga Whales

Beluga whales are marine mammals that most people only get to see at a marine park, such as Sea World. But there are two regions in North America that offer optimum places for you to view and track beluga whales: the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska and the St. Lawrence Seaway along the Quebec and New Brunswick borders.

Things You'll Need

  • Binoculars or spotting scope
  • Hydrophone (underwater listening device)
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Instructions

  1. Alaska - Turnagain Arm

    • 1

      Go to Alaska's Kenai Peninsula, south of the city of Anchorage. Drive the Seward Highway and stop about 40 miles south of the city at one of the highway's pull-offs. Look out to the right to see the Turnagain Arm, a body of water that is part of the Pacific Ocean. Prior to leaving Anchorage, pick up a free tide table at any gas station or sporting goods store. Look up the high and low tides for the day. Time the drive to coincide with the high tide, as beluga sightings are typically best as they ride the tide in search of fish. Any time of the year is a good time to spot the belugas, as they are year rounders in these waters. If you wish to optimize the chances, go at the highest tides possible, referred to as a "boar" tide.

    • 2

      Keep your eyes peeled at the surface of the water for white objects sliding across the water. These are the backs and dorsal ridges of belugas. Once spotted, quickly drop the hydrophone into the water and put the earphones on. Belugas earned the nickname "sea canaries" as their vocalizations are series of chirps and tweets. Listen as the belugas communicate with each other.

    • 3

      Drive along the highway to track the belugas as they swim east or west along Turnagain Arm. An alternative to this is to drive to the very small town of Hope, Alaska. Drive the Seward Highway approximately one hour south of Anchorage and make a right-hand turn onto the Hope road. Drive 10 miles to the end of the road and past the village of Hope. Park the car and hike out the Beluga Point trail to sit on the sea cliffs and watch the belugas in the arm.

      Because this body of water is highly dictated by currents and tides, sea kayak tracking is not recommended, even for advanced paddlers. This is not a place for small watercraft.

    St. Lawrence Seaway

    • 4

      Plan a trip to the St. Lawrence Seaway between late April and mid September. Belugas come in and out of the seaway during this time, although they can be seen year round. Optimal time for good road and water conditions (easier to track and follow the whales) is during this time.

    • 5

      Drive northeast along the St. Lawrence River out of the city of Trois Rivieres in Quebec and head towards Saguenay Fjord, Cap-de-Bon-Désir, the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park or Pointe des Monts (Duplessis). These are between two and five hours northeast along the river. As you leave the freshwater river, you enter the brackish waters and eventually the large St. Lawrence Seaway. As you enter this region, watch the water for spouts or white bodies.

    • 6

      Pull over and use the binoculars or spotting scope to see what species of whale is causing the spouts, as there are several species that frequent the Seaway during summer (blue, humpback, fin, pilot, beluga). Look for the telltale signs of the white body and dorsal, indicating belugas.

    • 7

      As the pod (group of whales) moves along the waterway, drive along the road to track the pod's movements.