Large group of harp seals spotted near Kamouraska, Que., as ice floes become scarce

Eric Leclerc could not believe his eyes when he saw around 10 chubby harp seals slowly drift down the St. Lawrence River on an ice floe near the town of Rivière-Ouelle, Que., where he was staying for the holidays. 

"They were all lying down, taking in the sun … enjoying the nice weather," said Leclerc.

Though he's from the area, this was his first time seeing a seal.

Harp seals migrate from the Canadian Arctic and Greenland to the Gulf of St. Lawrence in the fall, attracted by the ice that forms there. They rest on the ice and build up fat before pupping season begins in March, said Mike Hammill, a research scientist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO.)

Usually they hang around the Rimouski and Tadoussac areas, he said, though they can venture further west in search of good ice — which has been harder to come by in recent years.

"Looks like this year the only ice available is closer to the Kamouraska area," he said. 

The seals will make their way back to the gulf in a couple of months to give birth.

Hammill says the DFO is researching how the formation of less ice year after year on the St. Lawrence might affect the harp seals. He suspects that in 30 or 50 years, when there's no more ice in the gulf, the seals will probably continue to visit the Estuary of St. Lawrence to feed but will carry out their pupping season along the northeast coast of Newfoundland.

In the meantime, he says the population is "very abundant" and there are no conservation concerns. People can enjoy observing the animals but shouldn't approach them as they can leave a "nasty bite."

The owner of the cottage Leclerc was renting told him the seals might be a sign of good things to come. 

"He told us [the sighting] would probably bring joy in the year 2024," said Leclerc. He's holding onto that thought with optimism.