Beluga Whale

 

 

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.

 

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