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Table of Contents
Beluga whales, also known as white whales, have white skin that is adapted to their habitat in the Arctic. The word “beluga” comes from the Russian word for “white.” The beluga whale is closely related to the narwhal, “the unicorns of the sea”. They are the only two members of the Monodontidae family.
See the fact file below for more information on Beluga whales or alternatively, you can download our 26-page Beluga Whales worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
- Common Name: Beluga Whale
- Scientific Name: Delphinapterus leucas
- Type: Mammals
- Diet: Carnivores
- Group Name: Pod
- Average Lifespan in the Wild: 35 to 50 years
- Between 40% and 50% of the beluga whale’s body weight is subcutaneous fat, otherwise called blubber, and can be up to 6 in (15 cm) thick, acting as insulation in the icy Arctic waters.
- The beluga whale’s sense of hearing is highly developed, and its specialized echolocation allows it to find breathing holes under sheet ice.
- Their eyes are specially adapted to seeing underwater, but their vision is poor compared to dolphins.
- Beluga whales may be slow swimmers, but they are fantastic divers, going to depths of 2,300 ft (700 m).
- When beluga whales migrate to the estuaries during the summer, they rub themselves on the rocks and stones on the river beds to remove their outer layer of skin.
Introducing the Beluga Whale
- The beluga whale is also known as the white whale due to its whitish-gray color.
- It is one of the smallest whale species, easily identified by its distinctive color, prominent forehead, and stocky body. Unlike some of its relatives, it also has a cute, smiley face.
- Adult male beluga whales reach about 18 ft (5.5 m) in length, while the females measure up to 13.5 ft (4.1 m).
- The sturdier male weighs 2,430 – 3,530 lb (1,100 -1,600 kg), while females weigh 2,430 and 3,530 lb (700 – 1,200 kg).
Anatomy
- Belugas whales differ from other whales in that
- their necks are narrower
- they have thick, muscular bodies, tapering at both ends.
- their heads are rounder and have a smaller beak
- the vertebrae of their necks are not fused.
- Beluga whales have a single spiracle/blowhole, which is located on the top of the head behind the melon and which has a muscular covering, allowing it to be completely sealed.
- The melon is a fatty structure that changes shape when the whale produces sounds. The melon focuses and projects echolocation signals through the water.
- Beluga whales do not have dorsal fins, which would be a hindrance in the Arctic ice, but they have a tough dorsal ridge instead.
- They have a thick layer of blubber that insulates them from the icy Arctic waters.
- The beluga whale’s specialized sense of hearing is due to a highly developed auditory cortex.
- The tail-fin gradually grows to become ornately curved as the animal ages.
- The pectoral flippers are small and paddle-like, with slightly upcurled tips used to help steer and stop.
- The bulgar whale can gather its lips, allowing it to spit a stream of water to uncover and suction prey.
- On both the upper and lower jaws, beluga whales have eight to ten peg-shaped teeth adapted for grasping and tearing food rather than chewing it.
General Information
- Peter Simon Pallas first described Beluga whales in 1776.
- The word beluga comes from the Russian word “bielo”, which means white.
- Beluga’s earliest ancestor was the prehistoric Denebola brachycephala from the late Miocene period, approximately ten million years ago.
- According to studies, a single fossil from the Baja California Peninsula indicates the family once inhabited warmer waters.
- Beluga whales are very sociable, living in small groups called pods. They enjoy playfully chasing each other and rubbing against each other.
- Studies of captive animals show they seek frequent physical contact with other beluga whales.
- Beluga whales can easily navigate river mouths, entering shallow estuaries (areas where fresh and saltwater meet) during molting seasons.
- They typically follow the pack of ice as it melts and freezes throughout the season.
Reproduction and Young
- Individual beluga whales of both sexes reach their maximum size by the time they are ten years old.
- Female beluga whales become sexually mature around 5-7 years of age, while males are a little later at 8-9 years.
- Breeding usually occurs from April to May but may differ slightly in different regions.
- Females are pregnant for approximately 14 months, with births usually taking place in bays or estuaries where the water is warmer. They typically give birth to one calf every three years.
- Newborns are about 4 ft 11 in (1.5 m) long, weigh about 180 lb (80 kg), and are able to swim alongside their mothers immediately after birth.
- Newborn calves nurse underwater and feed hourly.
- The calves remain dependent on their mothers for nursing for the first year, when their teeth begin to appear.
- After this, they start to supplement their diet with shrimp and small fish, although the majority of the calves continue nursing until they are nearly two.
- Calves are born gray or brown, and by the time they are a month old, they have turned blue-gray or dark gray. They only fade to white as they become sexually mature.
Habitat and Diet and Migration
Habitat
- Beluga whales are only found in the Northern Hemisphere, where they inhabit the cold waters of the Arctic Ocean and the subarctic regions.
- They can be found in areas of Canada, Greenland, Alaska, Norway, and Russia.
- Beluga whales’ habitat is varied, but they are most commonly seen in shallow waters and bays close to the coast.
Diet
- Beluga whales feed on various fish species, such as salmon, arctic cod, and herring, as well as crustaceans (shrimp, crabs, mollusks), marine worms, and large zooplankton.
Migration
- It would appear that migration patterns are passed from parents to offspring.
- Not all beluga whales migrate, but some travel as far as 6,000 kilometers in a year.
- During autumn, as sites become blocked by ice, the migrating beluga whales move to spend their winters in sea areas covered with ice, using open patches to surface and breath.
- In summer, after the ice has melted, they return to shallower coastal waters.
Threats and Conservation Status
- The largest threat to the beluga whale population is human activity’s effects, including hunting and oil and gas development.
- Climate change and industrial and urban pollution also have profound effects on them.
- The native populations of the Canadian, Alaskan and Russian Arctic regions hunt beluga whales for their meat, blubber, and skin.
- Polar bears and killer whales are known predators of beluga whales throughout the Arctic.
- In 2008, the beluga whale was listed as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). However, they were later reclassified as “nearly threatened” due to uncertainty over threats to their numbers.
- The Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, formed by the U.S. Congress, outlawed the hunting of all marine mammals within U.S. coastal waters. The act has since been amended several times to permit subsistence hunting by native people and the temporary capture of restricted numbers for research, education, and public display.
Did You Know?
- Beluga whales are able to swim backward.
- Beluga whales are sometimes called “the canary of the sea” because they produce a series of chirps, squeals, clicks, and whistles that sound like music.
- These sounds convey important information to other members of their pod.
- They are cooperative creatures who often hunt in coordinated groups.
Beluga Whales Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about beluga whales across 26 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Beluga Whales worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Beluga whales, also known as white whales, which have white skin adapted to their habitat in the Arctic. The word “beluga” comes from the Russian word for “white.” The beluga is closely related to the narwhal, “the unicorns of the sea”. They are the only two members of the Monodontidae family.
Complete List Of Included Worksheets
- Beluga Whale Facts
- Beluga Info Cards
- Beluga Appearance
- Beluga 101
- Word Finder
- Taxonomic Classification
- Beluga Quiz Club
- Canaries of the Sea
- Fact or Bluff
- White Whale Encounter
- The Survivor
Frequently Asked Questions
Do beluga whales sleep?
Beluga whales, like dolphins, sleep by shutting down one hemisphere of their brain at a time. The other half of their brain does not shut down as it controls their breathing.
Do people eat beluga whales?
Yes, humans eat beluga whale meat, and it is an important food source in the Inuit and Arctic communities. The skin, meat, and blubber are all eaten both raw and dried or cooked in stews and soups.
How many beluga whales are left in the world?
Records show that the beluga whale population has declined by nearly 80 percent since 1979, from about 1,300 whales then to around 279 in 2022. The decline is predominantly thought to be due to climate change affecting both the extent and thickness of ice in their habitat.
Do other whales eat beluga whales?
Killer whales have been known to attack and eat beluga whales, as have polar bears. Scientists believe that beluga whales swim far into ice-covered waters to avoid orcas but then put themselves at risk of hungry polar bears.
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Link will appear as Beluga Whales Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, July 30, 2018
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