A beluga whale named Q that has been drawing visitors to the small community of Advocate Harbour, N.S., this summer is likely lonely despite its friendly nature, said a member of a whale support group.

The small, white beluga swam into the harbour located along the Bay of Fundy nearly two months ago. Belugas normally live in and around the Arctic Ocean, but some are also found in the St. Lawrence River east of Montreal.

A local boat owner has been taking tourists and locals to see the sociable whale, believed to be about two years old.

Cathy Kinsman, founder and project director of the Whale Stewardship Project in Halifax, said the young beluga whale may not be as happy as it appears.

Kinsman, who named the whale Q, said belugas are naturally social and suspects this one is probably very lonely right now.

"They're a long, long way away from the closest pod of beluga whales and so in the absence of their family members they're trying to fill a void," Kinsman said.

"That's why they're approaching people in boats and just about anything that moves or makes noise out there," she said.

Amazed by curious nature

Doris Collins, who, along with her family, has seen the creature a few times, said her stepfather was able to reach out and touch the whale as it swam up to their boat.

Collins said everyone is amazed at the whale's curious and social nature.

"He would pop up and circle around the boat and we put our hand out in the water, he'd come to the surface and kind of look at us," Collins told CBC News. "It was actually quite exciting."

Kinsman said Q has plenty to eat and the only real danger for him are propellers.

Her organization and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans have been working on a pilot project to learn why beluga whales drift away from their pod and how to keep them comfortable until they decide to leave.

This is the third time a beluga whale has been spotted in the Atlantic region this year. One whale was spotted travelling the coastline of Newfoundland and Labrador and another was spotted in Halifax harbour.