Police disperse crowds gathered to catch glimpse of beluga

RCMP have been keeping an eye on crowds gathering to catch a glimpse of a beluga whale in the water near the Mount Stewart Bridge.

Sgt. Chris Gunn says the biggest concern is about safety with the increase in traffic and parked vehicles.

"The bridge area is, of course, a narrow spot for traffic, and with the extra people parking on the road, there was quite a bit of vehicle congestion on the side of the road, families out with young individuals trying to get a glimpse of the whale. So we were worried about traffic."

Officers are also making sure people are following COVID-19 protocols such as staying two metres apart from people not in the same household.

The beluga whale, and another in the Murray Harbour area, have caused some excitement since they were first spotted last week.

Tonya Wimmer, a marine mammal biologist with the Marine Animal Response Society in Nova Scotia, said the animals aren't usually seen in P.E.I. waters.

"It's a pretty rare event for a beluga whale to be in this sort of part of the waters in Eastern Canada."

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