The beluga April

We have taken the plight of this St. Lawrence River resident to heart. So much so that in 2016, we decided to do something about it. We made the symbolic gesture of adopting it.

The Adopt a Beluga project is an initiative launched by the Tadoussac-based non-profit GREMM to fund the research work of scientists fighting for the survival of marine mammals in the St. Lawrence River.

Club APRIL Marine is therefore pleased to announce that we have adopted a beluga.

Through this adoption, we are supporting an organization whose chief concern is protecting our ecosystem and its biodiversity. We are supporting scientific research and helping to save an endangered species – and in doing so –strengthening our already close ties to the St. Lawrence River and its inhabitants.

We decided to name our beluga April. She’s a female from the Saguenay community and has a number of characteristics that make her easily recognizable, such as her white colour, small size and the scar on her left peduncle.

Why April?

There are several reasons why we settled on the name April for our adopted beluga. First, we adopted her in April 2016. April also comes from the Latin aperire, meaning “to open” – which is fitting because being open to others is what Club APRIL Marine is all about. We also wanted to honour our main partner APRIL Marine, which helps and supports us with our daily efforts and projects.

Whales currently face a number of threats. Fortunately, the observation, monitoring, research and analysis work of scientists is helping to make these threats better understood. Protecting their habitat will require concrete and sustained efforts such as public education and awareness campaigns. Initiatives such as the Adopt a Beluga Project are helping to fund these scientific activities.

“Belugas are the barometer of the health of the St. Lawrence and their population is declining.” GREMM

Update : April 26, 2021