BELUGA WHALE
Delphinapterus leucas
meaning of Greek name: white dolphin without a fin (because they have no dorsal fin)
DESCRIPTION: Adult beluga whales are completely white, a characteristic reflected in their scientific name, in their common name (beluga comes from the Russian word for white), and in one of their nicknames, the White Whale. When born, belugas are not white, but gray or brown. They get darker during their first month of life, gradually turning lighter as they grow older. Belugas have a small beak, a prominent melon or bulging forehead, no dorsal (back) fin, and have a stocky build. They reach their full size when they are about 10 years old. Males reach a maximum of 15 feet (4.5 m) in length and weigh up to 3,300 lbs (1500kg). Females are 10 to 13 feet (3-4 m), weigh up to 3,000 lbs (1,364 kg), and they have 30 to 40 teeth. Unlike other whales and dolphins, belugas' neck bones are not fused, allowing them to turn their heads.
RANGE/HABITAT: Belugas are found in arctic and subarctic waters. They generally remain close to drifting ice and within shallower waters off the continental shelf. Sometimes they are spotted in the open ocean and are even known to regularly enter fresh water. One beluga was found 600 miles (965 km) up the Yukon River. Some groups of belugas remain fairly resident, while others migrate. In the eastern Pacific, belugas are found along the West Coast of Alaska to Bristol Bay and into the Gulf of Alaska.
BEHAVIOR: Belugas are very social and are usually found in groups or pods of two to ten, but over 1,000 have been sighted at one time. They are among the most vocal of whales, and their chirps and whistles have earned them a second nickname, sea canaries. Belugas use echolocation, a process of locating objects or prey by sending out sound and listening for echoes. About 100 different kinds of prey are eaten by belugas, including octopus, squid, crabs, shrimp, clams, snails, sandworms, and fish. Belugas have few natural predators except for polar bears and killer whales. Polar bears and human hunters take advantage of ice-trapped belugas, by waiting for them to surface at breathing holes in the ice. Humans have also hunted these whales by driving them ashore. Native peoples use belugas for oil, meat, and (historically) making bootlaces. Commercial hunting of belugas has ended throughout the world, except in the former Soviet Union.
MATING AND BREEDING: Most belugas mate in the spring, and the calves are born the following summer after being carried by the mothers for 14 months. When born, calves are about five feet (1.5 m) long. They usually nurse from one to two years (they get teeth at one year, at which time they are able to eat other food).
STATUS: Belugas now face many dangers. Dams, pipelines, dredging, and tanker traffic force them from their habitat and limit the places they have left to live. Of even greater concern, belugas inhabiting the St. Lawrence River have been called one of the most polluted mammals on earth along with orcas. Over 24 contaminants have been found in their bodies including PCBs, DDT, and heavy metals such as mercury. Their PCB levels are so high that, according to Canadian regulations, their bodies should be treated as toxic waste upon death. In recent times, many belugas have been dying of cancer, ulcers, and weakened immune systems.
Belugas, as well as other marine mammals, are important indicators of the environmental health of the areas where they live, and we can be sure that other life, including human beings, will ultimately be affected by the same pollutants.