Diet
Beluga whales have a diverse diet of many species of fish, squid, crab shrimp, clams and worms and may be called bottom feeders. Their teeth are not very sharp. They may use them to hold their prey but their food is swallowed whole. According to research, they seem to have a developed sense of taste and may taste the water before they taste their food. They prefer to feed in shallow water where they usually feed alone. When at sea, they hunt cooperatively and are able to dive up to 21fathoms.(1) Although they generally stay underwater for no more than a few minutes at a time they have been known to stay submerged for up to 15 minutes.
Cooperative hunting
| Aggression
| Behaviour
| Curiosity and Play
| Fear and Stress |
| Social Behaviour
| Surface Behaviour |
| Names
| Description
| Diet
| Migration |
| Predators
| Reproduction
| Senses |
| Communication
| Vocalization |
| Beluga Main Page |
| Bibliography |
Geocities
footnotes:
(1)p122 Field guide to Whales, Porpoises and Seals