A humpback whale has been spotted in the Montreal river for the first time ever after swimming up the St. Lawrence River in Canada.
According to reports, the whale traveled to the river from the saltwater of Tadoussac, a village in Quebec that is located at the confluence of the Saguenay and Saint Lawrence rivers.
The whale was first noticed underneath the Pont de Québec last week, however, it wasn't until the morning of May 30 that it was witnessed near the Jacques Cartier Bridge in Montreal.
Watch the historic sighting below:
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This is a particularly notable event because Montreal is so far inland, which is what makes the whale's presence so unusual.
CBC has reported Robert Michaud, the coordinator for the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Network, describing the situation as "unusual" and adding: "It's the first time that we see a humpback past the Quebec area."
Michaud believes that confusion could have led the whale into the area, or because it was simply following a shoal of fish.
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He said: "We don't know why this animal made this journey. There are several hypotheses. Humans, whales and land mammals, sometimes they are vagrants that go in unusual places.
"These journeys are usually a series of mistakes. But what is sure is that this animal doesn't belong to this habitat."
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While the whale can live in the freshwater of the area, the food and water present won't be providing it with the best environment. The increased "marine traffic" in the area also has the potential to harm the animal.
Local residents have been watching the whale, which has been resurfacing every few minutes for air.
However, measures are in place to protect the whale, and if locals go within 100 meters of the animal, they could face a fine, with Michaud recommending that the whale is best to view from a 200-meter distance.
This is because although humpback whales are typically gentle animals, they could lash out if they felt threatened.
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According to the Montreal Gazette, Marie-Eve Muller, who also works for the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network, said that it is likely that the whale will end its adventure in Montreal.
She said: "The current is quite strong, it's trying to go up but it’s having a hard time fighting the current.
"It's swimming freely so that's good, it means it can move around as it needs. It's hard to predict if it has hit the end of the road and will turn around and hopefully go back to her other humpback whale friends in Tadoussac or Gaspé."
Thankfully, the whale isn't alone on its journey and it's currently being monitored by members of the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Network.