Beluga Whale

Description:

The Beluga is a pure white, toothed whale with a prominent, rounded forehead. Its thick skin and lack of dorsal fin are believed to be adaptations to cold, icy waters, to most scientists. The Female Belugas average length is 3.5 meters in length. Well the males, average in length from 3.6 to 4.0 meters. Their young when born, are only 1.6 meters in length, and only 79 kilograms in weight But the color of the young whales are Grey, but over the years they mature and turn their coats to white.

Habitat: The Beluga Whale lives in the cold Arctic Waters of Hudson Bay. But as the season changes so their habitats. In the winter they stay in Hudson Bay, in the summer they move close to the Labrador Current. I'm only talking about the Hudson Bay population that is endangered. There are more Beluga Whales on the other side of the Arctic Ocean. The picture below shows where they move to during the seasons.

Diet: Well the belugas diet consists of many different species, such as squid, tube worms, caplin, Greenland and Atlantic Cod. Well the young will stay close to shore and eat bottom fish. The young stay in warm water and eat small food, while the adults move in the deep and eat bigger types of food.

Threats: Over exploration is the main cause, to their decline in their population. Other factors that caused their decline in population are damming of large rivers, disturbances from ships and pleasure craft. The degradation in the water, from ships and industrial activity, caused decline in their food and habitat.

What's Being Done: Scientists are tracked movements and diving patterns to assist in the interpretation of aerial surveys and further understanding of stock boundaries. Projects also investigated the effects of noise disturbance. Ongoing every year, Inuit hunters report their harvest and provide skin samples from the hunt for genetic analysis. To assist in the identification of different beluga stocks and which stock the hunt is affecting. If you would like to find more information about the Beluga whale click here.

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