Beluga Whale

The Beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) is sometimes called the “white whale” due to its unusual coloring. Other names it goes by include “sea canary” and for its high-pitched calls it is also known as “melonhead.” 

These friendly ‘canaries of the sea’ captivate us with their ghostly white beauty and vocal talents and touch our hearts with their social nature and intelligence. Living in the harsh yet majestic waters of the Arctic and subarctic regions, belugas showcase a remarkable adaptability that is nothing short of awe-inspiring.

Join us as we journey into their world, exploring their unique characteristics, deep familial bonds, and the challenges they face in an ever-changing environment. 

Appearance 

The beluga whale is distinguished by its all-white appearance. Unlike most whales, they do not have a dorsal fin. This allows them to swim more easily under the ice and closer to the surface.

Their heads feature a protuberance that holds a special organ called a melon, that allows them to use echolocation.

The whale can grow to around eighteen feet in length and can weigh around 3,530 pounds. Their bodies are often described as dense and stocky. Around 40-50% of their body weight is fat, a far higher percentage than that within non-Arctic whales.

Males are around 25% larger than females and, as the Convention on Migratory Species describes, “sturdier.” They reach their maximum size around ten years of age.

Unlike most whales, belugas have flexible necks because their neck vertebrae is not fused. This allows them to move their heads up, down, and side-to-side.

Do Beluga Whale have knees?

In some pictures, it appears as if beluga whales have knees. This has commonly made people mistake them for mermaids at sea.

However, what appears to be knees for beluga whales is just, in fact, blubber moving in the ocean or their muscle. The way beluga whales swim can often cause their own blubber and/or muscle to look in such a way as to make it seem beluga whales have knees.

Habitat

It is most commonly found in the waters around the Arctic and sub-Arctic. During the summer, it can be found around the coast of Alaska, northern California, Greenland, and northern Russia.

Their habitat only extends as far south as areas around the Shantar Islands and the Sea of Okhotsk.

The beluga whale is also known for its migratory patterns. These are patterns the animals inherit from their parents. Some travel as far as 3,700 miles a year. They spend the winter in the open sea alongside pack ice. They survive by coming to the surface and using polynyas (or areas of open water surrounded by sea ice) to breathe. 

These whales are most commonly spotted in shallow waters near the coast. But, reports suggest they also travel out into deeper water for extended periods. This is where the whales give birth and feed. It’s not uncommon to find these whales in coves, bays, and other shallow waters, like canals, around the Arctic Ocean. 

Diet 

Beluga whales are opportunist feeders. This means that their habits change depending on the season and their location. This is heightened by the fact that they are slow swimmers. But they can dive to around 2,300 feet. 

During one period of time, they might prey on Arctic cod, rosefish, or Coho salmon. In other locations, they may feed on smelt, sole, herring, and types of salmon. Shrimp, crabs, squid, octopus, sea snails, and bristle worms are also on their menu. 

Beluga whales spend the most time feeding during the winter season. This is when their blubber is the thickest. They do not, scientists believe, hunt while they are migrating. 

Reproduction

Scientists are not entirely sure when beluga whales reach sexual maturity. Estimates suggest sometime between nine and fifteen for males and eight and fourteen for females. According to Scientific Reports, the average age at which adult belugas first give birth is 8.5 years old. 

Females give birth to around one calf every three years, with the mating period occurring between February and May.

Gestation lasts somewhere between 12 and 14.5 months. Calves remain with their mothers and are dependent on them for the first year of their lives. When their teeth appear, they start eating shrimp and small fish. They nurse until they are around twenty months old, according to Walker’s Mammals of the World. 

Threats 

Beluga whale is not an endangered species yet they face numerous threats. This includes hunting in the Arctic, Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and Russia by native peoples. This is done for both consumption and profit. The whales are easy to hunt due to their predictable migratory patterns. Studies suggest that around 1,000 beluga whales are killed every year. 

Commercial whaling around the Arctic Ocean is also responsible for the low population numbers that Beluga whales suffer from today. This was at its height between the 18th and 19th centuries. They were hunted for their meat and blubber, and oil from their bodies was used as a lubricant for machinery, including clocks. 

They also face predation from killer whales and polar bears. Underwater noise, climate change, subsistence harvesting, and habitat degradation are some other stressors faced by these species.

Belugas are also threatened by pollution. This is especially dangerous because they tend to live near shores, the areas most heavily influenced by runoff. Heavy metals like DDT and lead have been found in populations of beluga whales.

6 Curious Facts About Beluga Whales

1. Beluga whales form groups of ten on average. 
2. They can swim both forward and backward, a rare ability among aquatic mammals.
3. They can dive to depths of over 700 meters and hold their breath for up to 15 minutes.
4. The conservation status of beluga whales was listed as “near threatened” by the IUCN in 2008. 
5. Their white color is not just for camouflage in icy waters; it also helps them absorb and retain heat from the sun.
6. All beluga whale populations are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA).

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