Belugas produce many different sounds, ranging from clicks, squeals, whistles, etc. Their songs are also used in communication with other belugas. Belugas use echolocation to locate their bottom-dwelling prey, to find breathing holes in the Arctic ice sheet, and to navigate in deep, dark waters. They are capable of short bursts of speed up to 14 mph (22 kph) for about 15 minutes.īelugas are also known as "sea canaries" because of their songs and chatter, which can even be heard above the water. The spout is about 3 feet (90 cm).īeluga are relatively slow swimmers. The beluga's blowhole is relaxed in a closed position. To open its single blowhole, a beluga contracts the muscular flap that covers it. They can dive to a depth of about 1,300-2,100 feet (400-650 m) at times. They can travel for about 1.5 miles (2.5 km) during a dive and commonly dive to a depth of 66 feet (20 m) to hunt. During migrations, several pods may join together, forming groups of 200-10,000 belugas.īelugas usually dive for about 3-15 minutes while hunting for food. The bond between mothers and calves is the strongest. An adult beluga will eat about 2.5% to 3% of its body weight per day, or 50 pounds (25 kg) of food a day, or more.īeluga whales are very social animals and congregate in pods (social groups) of 2-25 whales, with an average pod size of 10 whales (consisting of both males and females or mothers and calves). Belugas sometimes hunt schools of fish cooperatively in small groups. They are both benthic (bottom) and pelagic (oceanic) feeders (in shallow water). They are opportunistic feeders, eating a varied diet of fish, squid, crustaceans, octopi, and worms. The teeth are not designed for chewing, but for grabbing and tearing prey. The flukes (tail) are wide and deeply notched.īelugas are toothed whales with 34 teeth. The flippers are short, rounded, and wide. It has no dorsal fin, which makes swimming under Arctic ice sheets easier. The beluga's body is stout and has a small, blunt head with a beak, a well-defined neck, and a rounded melon. The beluga whale is white as an adult and molts seasonally. Unlike most other cetaceans, the beluga's seven neck vertebrae are not fused, giving it a flexible, well-defined neck.īeluga whales grow to be about 15 feet (4.6 m) long on average, weighing up to about 3,300 pounds (1500 kg). The beluga is also called the white whale, the white porpoise, the sea canary (because of its songs), and the squid hound (due to its diet). Its genus, Delphinapterus, means "whale without fins", and the species, leucas, means white. The beluga's body is stout and has a small, blunt head with a small beak, tiny eyes, thick layers of blubber, and a rounded melon. The beluga whale is a small, toothed whale that is white as an adult. Our subscribers' grade-level estimate for this page: Today's featured page: Explorers of the Arctic is a user-supported site.Īs a bonus, site members have access to a banner-ad-free version of the site, with print-friendly pages.
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