Beluga Whale

Beluga Whale

 

 

Beluga Whale Facts

Beluga Whale - Delphinapterus leucas

Beluga Whale Description

If you haven’t seen a Beluga Whale then you are definitely missing out on one of the most unique elements in the water. They are different in many ways from other species of whales. One of their characteristics is that the adults will become white in color. As they get older they lose pigmentation which is responsible for this trait. Since they are smaller than other species of whales this is one way to know for sure if you are looking at an adult or a youth.

They can live in the wild for approximately 30 years, but that can vary depending on predators, changes to their environment, and problems that humans cause for them. These whales live in the colder regions which is another difference from them and most other species. They are spectacular to watch and they are also at risk for a future due to many variables.

Beluga Whale Anatomy

Since the Beluga Whale is smaller than many other species, they seem to be out of proportion in many ways. They have an extremely round body but they don’t weigh nearly as much as other whales. This particular feature is due to the layers of additional blubber they have. It is necessary in order for them to successfully live in the colder waters of the Arctic.

They are about 3,000 pounds when they are an adult and close to 15 feet in length. The females are slightly lighter and shorter than the males. You will notice that a Beluga Whale doesn’t have a dorsal fin. That way they can move through the icy waters with ease. They do have a fluke but if you look closely at it you will notice a peculiar notch in the center of it. This is also to help them navigate through the icy waters. Each one only has one blow hole that it uses to take in air.

Beluga Whale Evolution

The story of how the Beluga Whale came to be is full of holes. There are some pretty good theories but they can’t be proven yet. They will one day though or new theories will erupt based upon the information that is found. What is commonly believed today is that they were on the Earth about 50 million years ago.

In order for them to survive they evolved from land animals to water animals. Their small limbs became fins and they developed a blow hole so that they could get the air they need and still be able to dive to get the food supply they need as well. Since this is the main evolution process believed of most whales it is also fitting for this particular species.

Beluga Whale Behavior

A great deal of time has been spent observing the behaviors of the Beluga Whale. What is very interesting is that they are very friendly and very social creatures. The thrive within their pods which can have up to 25 individuals in it. They do all they can to make sure everyone within that pod is well cared for and has enough food to eat.

One element of research that continues to be studied is the communication of this type of whale. They are able to use a variety of different calls, clicks, and whistles in order to effectively communicate with each other. These sounds can be heard from miles away by humans and even further by other Beluga Whales.

Beluga Whale Habitat and Distribution

Even though they are able to live in extremely cold areas of the Arctic and sub Artic they do migrate. Many people are puzzled by this but it does make sense if you have the facts. First, they can’t live in water that is mainly frozen which does occur in the winter months. Not only can’t the move well in it, they can’t find adequate sources of food. Secondly, they won’t mate within their own pods so migrating allows them to find plenty of others that they can pair off with.

The Beluga Whale is found in any body of water that is cold enough and that offers them enough food. Most of them are around the area of Alaska due to it offering both of these elements for them. They can also be found in the various seas and rivers though so don’t rule it out when you travel through the waters of these areas.

Beluga Whale Feeding Habits

They are very opportunistic when it comes to feeding. This means that they will take what is in front of them and be very grateful for it. Since they need to consume about 3% of their body weight daily they don’t have the time to be too picky. They will mainly eat fish but also consume crustaceans, squid, and octopus that they come into contact with. They hunt as a group so it is simple enough for them to get large amounts of food each day for all in their pod.

They will swallow their food in whole chunks even though they do feature extremely sharp teeth. They will use those teeth when necessary though to break large prey into chunks that they can easily swallow.

Beluga Whale Reproduction

As I mentioned they will take part in reproducing when they are migrating towards the warmer waters in the winter. Only the mature Beluga Whales that are from 7 to 9 years of age will mate. It takes about 15 months for the offspring to be born. That is a very long time and one concern about the slow addition of new ones to their numbers of overall population.

The females are instinctively excellent caregivers. They will give birth towards the shore so that it is easier to guide the pup to the surface for air. The entire pod will do what they can to protect the young from predators by placing them at the center of it. The food supply for the young pups is milk from their mother for the first year or two of life.

They grow extremely fast due to the amount of fat found in her milk. They are already bout five feet long and weigh about 100 pounds at birth so it doesn’t take them long to gain in both size and strength.

Beluga Whale Predators

Many people assume that the Beluga Whales don’t have predators due to them living the Artic and sub Artic regions. However, they do have a couple that are interesting to learn about. The polar bear is one that can be a huge threat to them. Since they can stand on the ice and have swift claws that are extremely powerful it doesn’t take much for them to get a pup that is close to shore. Polar bears can also swim very fast so they are a threat in the water as well.

The Killer Whale is another threat to them in the water. However, it is humans that pose the biggest problem of them all for them. Hunting them for sport has gone on for decades. However, now there are faster boats and better weapons that tip the scales in favor of the humans. Some tribes around Alaska also hunt them for food.

The destruction of their natural habitat due to actions from humans is a huge problem. They have to deal with the effects of global warming, pollution that can lead to disease, and their natural habitat being destroyed. Right now they are considered to be a threatened animal. What this means is that the remaining 80,000 will have a hard time surviving if we don’t take action to change out ways.

 

Beluga Whale Related Article

Blue Whale

 

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Blue Whale

Blue Whale

 

 

Blue Whale - Balaenoptera musculus

Photograph taken by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Blue Whale Description

You may know so simple facts about the Blue Whale, but this fascinating animal has such a story to tell. We are still mystified by it due to the sheer size of it and how long it has been around. There is plenty that we don’t know due to where they live. They are realistically too large to keep in captivity and the cost of feeding them would be ridiculous to say the least.

Exploring the world of the Blue Whale is one that you will enjoy. Perhaps upon doing so you will discover for yourself why we all have a responsibility to help protect his animal. They are considered endangered at this point in time. Unless more people step in to help them though the outlook for their future here on Earth looks quite grim.

Blue Whale Evolution

How did the Blue Whale come to be the magnificent animal that we have today? There are still many elements of that which we aren’t familiar with. There is evidence to indicate they have been around in some form though for more than 45 million years. They have been able to evolve into water animals from ones that were once able to walk on land. This has allowed them to survive in an environment where they can have all of their basic needs met.

Perhaps some day we will uncover more fossils of the Blue Whale which will provide us with the exact answers we seek. However, the focus now needs to be on keeping these animals alive instead of only a part of our past history. They aren’t able to evolve fast enough to keep up with all the changes that humans create for them.

Blue Whale Anatomy

It is easy enough to say that the Blue Whale is the largest animal in the world. Yet what does that really mean? It means that this creature is as long as a bus and that they are even larger than any dinosaurs that we know about. They can be more than 100 feet long and close to 200 tons in weight. They have many colors associated with them including variations of blue, green, and white. They have a long and slim body that allows them to move with ease along the ocean.

All Blue Whales feature two blow holes and that allows them to take in lots of air. They will be able to dive into the water for food and not come back up for close to an hour. Younger ones can’t stay under as long but as they get older their capacity will increase. Once of the interesting things to look at on their body is the grooves under the throat that run all the way to the middle of the bottom of the belly. These grooves are for the processing of food through a filtering system.

Blue Whale Behavior

Since we don’t get to have Blue Whales in captivity a great deal about their behavior is a mystery as well. They tend to do quite well out there as isolated creatures but occasionally they will be seen as a pair or in very small groups. They do get along well when they come into contact during migration, in search of food, or for mating purposes. They generally aren’t aggressive in nature towards each other.

There is no denying the loud calling sounds of the Blue Whale though. They can be heard for many miles away. In fact they are the loudest animal in the world. Many times it will sound like an eerie type of whistling that is coming from the water. This sound increases in volume and frequency during the mating season as well because they use these calls to find each other.

Blue Whale Habitat and Distribution

It is a myth that the Blue Whale only lives in the Indian Ocean. Such stories circulate though because this is where the vast majority of them are found. They do live in all the oceans around the world. They tend to stay in warmer waters though and they will live in deeper waters. That is why many people don’t realize that they are in the area because they don’t see them from the shore.

Blue Whales migrate in the winter months in order to find warmer water. During this period of time they can be found in places where they normally wouldn’t habitat. Migration patterns have been documented and many tourists travel to those areas in hopes of seeing these amazing animals as they move from one location to another.

Blue Whale Diet and Feeding Habits

Blue Whales don’t much of a selection when it comes to the food that they eat. Instead they consume millions of krill every day. They will eat more in the summer than in the winter though. During the winter they are able to survive due to the amount of fat called blubber that they stored up over the warmer times of the year.

The filtering system that they have allows them to consume the food they need and to remove the items that they don’t include the water. This process is very complex but at the same time it is very intriguing to learn about.

Blue Whale Reproduction

It is assumed that the Blue Whale reproduces just like other mammals in the water. We don’t know much about the specifics though due to the region where these animals are, deep in the waters of the ocean. They tend to be ready to mate about 8 to 10 years of age. A female will only have a pup every couple of years due to the fact that the mating season overlaps with the time of year when she will be ready to give birth.

It takes a full year from conception until they pup is born. It is ready to swim instinctively when it is born. They aren’t small and defenseless like some animals in the water. They are huge at a size of about 20 feet and about 3 tons in weight when they arrive. They aren’t ready to consume krill though until they are about six months old. Until that time they will survive off of the milk their mother’s produce.

They grow at an amazingly fast rate by gaining about 200 pounds a day. They will consume milk from their mother for the first six months of life before beginning to hunt for their own food. They will remain with their mother for about another six months before separating.

Blue Whale Predators

The Blue Whale does survive well due to its size. They don’t have any natural enemies except for the Orca. They may become something that the Orca wants but they won’t give in without a fight. In fact, many Blue Whales out there have the scars from their battles with them to prove that they aren’t easy prey at all.

Of course many humans love the thrill of the kill for such a huge animal. This became such a problem that the government had to step in around 1966 and make it against the law to do so. Of course we all know too well that people will continue to break the laws so that isn’t enough.

Due to the illegal hunting by humans as well as global warming and pollution in the ocean, the Blue Whale is an endangered animal. There are an estimated 12,000 out there still remaining. If we all do our part though they will have a bright future and they can start to get their numbers to increase.

 

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Killer Whale      

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