Common Name:
Beluga whale
Scientific Name:
Delphinapterus leucas
Unique Qualities:
Beluga Whales are white in colour and are best known for their friendly-looking smile (which is actually the natural shape of their mouth). Baby beluga calves are born a grayish brown colour and turn white as they reach about 5 years of age. These whales can grow to be 20 feet, live up to 50 years, and weigh 2000 to 3000 pounds. A beluga is unique because of its flexible neck that allows it to turn its head in all directions. It also has a fatty lump on its forehead called a melon that helps it to produce sounds. Since belugas often dive into very deep, dark waters, they find food by making clicking noises and listening for the echo bouncing back off of their prey. That’s called “echolocation”.
Can be Seen:
You can find the Beluga Whale on the coasts of Nunavut, Quebec, the Northwest Territories and Manitoba in the Arctic and Atlantic oceans.
Likes to Hang Out:
Belugas travel in small groups called “pods”. They like to swim in water that is free of ice and full of food. In the winter, Belugas hang out in open waters and in the summer they migrate to shallow bays and estuaries, where rivers meet up with the ocean.
Likes to Eat:
Belugas are excellent divers. They are equipped with extra blood which holds a lot of oxygen so that they can swim hundreds of meters down to find fish, crustaceans and worms.
Status:
Most Beluga populations are considered endangered or threatened. Hunting, pollution and altered habitats (like when a river is dammed for hydro power) all make it difficult for these animals to survive. Even noise pollution from ships and industries is causing problems for belugas by interfering with their ability to find food through echolocation.
