Beluga Whales
Delphinapterus leucas · also called White Whale, Sea Canary, Belukha, White Porpoise, White Squidhound · Toothed whale
Beluga whales are toothed whales.
Classification
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Mammalia |
| Order | Cetacea |
| Family | Monodontidae |
| Genus | Delphinapterus |
| Species | leucas |
Description
Belugas are often called white whales; their unusual coloring makes them easy to identify from other whales. Beluga whales have rounded foreheads and lack the dorsal fin common on most whales.
Size
Male beluga whales tend to be larger than females: males measure 11.2–15.1 feet in length and weigh up to 3,300 lbs, while females measure 9.8–13.1 feet and weigh up to 2,900 lbs.
Did You Know?
Unlike many other whale species, beluga whales do not display aerial acrobatics — they do not leap or jump out of the water.
Habitat
Beluga whales are found in Arctic and subarctic waters, primarily off the coasts of Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and Russia, preferring cold, shallow coastal waters.
Diet
Beluga whales eat more than 100 kinds of sea creatures, including fish, crustaceans, octopus, squid, crabs, snails and worms, swallowing their food whole.
Communication
Belugas are very vocal, communicating with a series of clicks, whistles, and clangs, and have the unusual ability to mimic a variety of other sounds.
Birth & growth
Beluga whales carry their young for 14 to 15 months. Calves are 5.2 feet at birth and weigh about 176 lbs; they are dark gray to bluish or brownish gray at birth, lightening by around age 6, and can swim from birth. Females reach sexual maturity between ages 4–7, males between 8–9; a female gives birth to a single calf every two to three years.
Life span
Beluga whales live an average of 35 to 50 years in the wild, and are preyed on by polar bears and killer whales.
Social structure
Belugas are very social, living in pods of 2–25 whales, averaging around 10 members, that hunt and migrate together.