Meet the Beluga Whale
Neptune's Note VIIII
Name: The English name ‘beluga’ comes from the Russian белу́га, which derives from the word белый (bélyj), meaning "white", so it’s not surprising that one of the many nicknames of the beluga is the white wizard whale, especially as they’re the only cetacean with this colouring. Their most popular nickname is ‘the canary of the sea’ due to their melodic disposition of high-pitched calls but they sometimes go by ‘the melonhead’ as well, which I’ve been told they don’t love.
Family: They are one of two members of the Monodontidae family, alongside the Narwhal which are very similar in appearance except for one protruding difference.
Genus: Belugas are the only members of the genus Delphinapterus which means ‘dolphin without fin’ (from the Greek δελφίν (delphin) or dolphin, and απτερος (apteros) without fin).
Location: Beluga whales primarily inhabit the Arctic Ocean, as well as coastlines around North America, Russia and Greenland. Migrating seasonally between the Arctic ice cap and warmer river estuaries, which they occasionally venture up, they adjust their location in response to the melting and formation of sea ice. So they move south in autumn when the ice is forming and return north in spring when the ice caps break up and feeding becomes easier. However, some populations are sedentary, remaining in specific regions year-round.
Population: Population estimates range between 150,000 and 200,000 beluga whales worldwide.
Status: Belugas are listed as a Least Concern on the IUCN Red List but certain subpopulations number in the low hundreds and are candidates on the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act in certain Alaskan waters. The Cook Inlet population is considered critically endangered.
Weight: Belugas are burlier than we might imagine them to be, weighing up to 1,600 kg.
Length: In length, they sit somewhere between that of a dolphin and a great whale, with males growing as long as 5.5 metres or more.
Anatomy: Most recognisable for their all-white colouration and absence of a dorsal fin, they are uniquely adapted for life in the Arctic environment, blending in with the wash of white at the North Pole keeps them camouflaged and protected against their only predators - polar bears and orcas. Plus, their lack of a dorsal fin enables them to easily navigate under the sea ice. A most notable feature of the beluga is their large, deformable melon - an echolocation organ - common to several whale species but especially bulbous on a beluga’s forehead, it is particularly useful for navigation and hunting in murky waters. A distinctive characteristic of a beluga’s melon though is that it is malleable, changing shape during the emission of different sounds. Belugas have a stocky body, with a substantial part of their weight coming from the blubber which keeps them warm in the cold Arctic sea. Unlike other whales and dolphins the neck vertebrae of a beluga are not fused so they are able to move their necks freely, this, along with the sharp tapering of their round bodies to their head, gives one the impression that they have shoulders. Which is equal parts silly as it is sweet. Despite their mobility they are quite slow swimmers but can dive up to 700 metres for food.
Diet: Beluga whales are opportunistic feeders with diets varying by location and season. They consume fish like salmon and herring, along with shrimp, crabs, and mollusks. Belugas forage primarily between depths of 20 to 40 metres using their flexible necks to aid in seabed foraging and sometimes pushing jets of water out of their mouth to uncover silt-hidden prey. Lacking large, sharp teeth, belugas rely on suction to ingest prey whole, limiting their food size to avoid choking.
Social habits: Beluga whales are as friendly as they look and highly social too, forming groups of around ten individuals but congregating in hundreds or even thousands in estuaries and coastal areas during summer. Three different types of pods may form: nurseries (mothers and calves), bachelors (all males), or mixed groups, but due to their gregarious nature these pods tend to be unstable as individuals will come and go as they please. A fair weather friend but a fun one at least. The flexible setup of their pods means they often come together and coordinate their hunts using the high-pitched squeaks, squeals, clicks and whistles that they’re capable of. Social behaviour includes chasing, rubbing, play-fighting and synchronised diving but they’re also extremely intelligent and in captivity1 have been observed playing games like blowing and popping bubbles while remaining constantly vocal.
Reproduction: Female belugas first reproduce at around 8 years of age, with fertility declining after 25 as they undergo menopause, with all reproductive potential ceasing by 41. They typically give birth to one calf every three years and calves will nurse from their mothers for the first year, gradually becoming independent as their teeth emerge.
Unique facts:
The beluga whale possesses an advanced sense of hearing, and its echolocation abilities enable it to navigate and locate breathing holes beneath sheets of ice.
Over the years researchers have observed belugas mimicking human speech. Notably, NOC, a beluga whale who replicated the rhythm and tone of human language, while others in the wild have imitated human voices.
Yet another incredible feature of the lovely Beluga whale is their ability to shed their skin seasonally. In winter, their epidermis thickens, often turning yellowish, especially on the back and fins. Then in summer when migration to estuaries, they rub against riverbed gravel to remove this outer skin layer.
Threats they face: Sat at the top of the food chain, beluga whales are crucial to marine ecosystems and culturally significant to Arctic indigenous communities. Historically hunted by native peoples of North America and Russia (and non-natives during the 19th and 20th century), aboriginal whaling is excluded from the International Whaling Commission’s 1986 moratorium on hunting and so each country has developed its own regulations across the years. This, along with the many other threats they face has seen their numbers drop significantly in Russia and Greenland, but not in Alaska and Canada.
One other significant threat is that of climate change. Belugas are particularly vulnerable as their existence hinges on sea ice, which is rapidly diminishing in extent and thickness. This loss of sea ice not only impacts their feeding and refuge habits but also exposes them to natural predators like orcas and polar bears.
An increase in industrial activity in the Arctic is also a great threat to belugas. As shipping and oil and gas developments increase, underwater noise pollution disrupts the sensitive and crucial sound-based communication and navigation abilities of the beluga. More maritime traffic also increases the likelihood of shipping vessel collisions and pollution, further endangering them.
In yet another cruel hand served to the beluga, they are an easy target for life in captivity. Often kept in conditions far removed from their lives in the Arctic, the ethical concerns of a life in captivity need no explanation, but the welfare of such an intelligent and socially complex animal in these conditions is greatly concerning. Though their natural environment is in peril, it is where wild animals belong.
Here at Beached we are building a community that can put our brains and resources together to highlight and fund solutions to the problems facing the beluga whale and the oceans they live in. I hope you’ll join our humble community and click subscribe for free or support our work by purchasing the paid subscription.
All Beached posts are free to read but if you can we ask you to support our work through a paid subscription. These directly support the work of Beached and allow us to engage in more conversations with experts in the field of marine conservation and spend more time researching a wider breadth of topics for the newsletters. Paid subscriptions allow us to dedicate more time and effort to creating a community and provide the space for stakeholders to come together, stay abreast of each other’s work and foster improved collaboration and coordination.
One day Beached hope to donate a large percentage of the revenue from paid subscriptions to marine conservation organisations and charities to support their work too. Working together, we can reverse the degradation of our oceans.
Amie 🐋
Belugas are one of the most commonly kept cetaceans in captivity because of their friendly appearance but docile and playful nature.
Lovely. What gorgeous beings. I despise the idea of them being in captivity.
I’ve always loved Beluga Whales 🐳, they’re cute and friendly! 😭😱