Beluga sightings in Charlottetown harbour confirmed

A provincial wildlife officer has confirmed a beluga whale is swimming in Charlottetown waterways.

Sightings of the white whale were first reported last week in Charlottetown harbour.

Since then, the whale has travelled up the Hillsborough River.

When whale sightings were first reported to Chuck Gallison, an Environment Department fish and wildlife program officer, he doubted the creature was a beluga.

On Saturday, Gallison decided to investigate for himself.

"We found it. There it was. It was kind of just travelling in a circle back and forth. We just turned the motor off and tried to drift close to it, but it really wouldn't allow it," said Gallison. "We've never had belugas reported here before, and I had no reason to expect that there would ever be one." 

The whale doesn't seem to be in any distress, said Gallison. The only concern is if too many boaters try to get close to it, he said.