Beluga Whales

As I mentioned, the Beluga Whale is smaller than other species. Full grown they weigh about 3,000 pounds and they are about 15 feet in length. They are round and short with a fun look to them. One very interesting fact about the design of their body is that they have a neck that is flexible. No other species of whale has this ability and it makes movement very simple for this one.

You will also notice that there is no dorsal fin on the Beluga Whale. This allows them to move easier through the thick sheets of ice that form in the water. They have one blow hole and they have a keen sense that allows them to find air in the layers of ice out there. They don't have to come to the surface but they are still getting the supply of air they need to survive. They also have notch in the middle of the fluke that helps to identify them.

The Beluga Whales are quite interesting to watch when it comes to their socialization skills. They live in groups from 2 up to 25 members. They are very protective of the young, placing them on the inner layers of the pod. They work as a team to protect their pod and to make sure they all have enough food.

They have plenty of interesting sounds that you can hear miles away. Sometimes they sound like songs and other times they are high pitched as if they are warning of impending dangers. There is still a great deal of research that needs to be done in order to evaluate what all of the sounds of this whale really mean. Some experts in Japan have identified some of them quite well though.

Some people are confused when they learn that the Beluga Whales live in very cold areas. Most of them are in the waters around Alaska. They love the Artic and sub Arctic regions in that part of the world. They do migrate though which is why people find them in other areas. During the migration period they are moving to find food and to find mates. They aren't necessarily moving due to the temperatures of the water.

They live in all types of water which is very interesting too. Many people assume that they only live in the ocean but that isn't true. They seem to get along very well with each other as well as other species of whales. They migrate by creating extremely large groups from their smaller pods. Their feeding locations often overlap too without aggressive behaviors being displayed.

Many people are under the impression that the Beluga Whales chew their food due to their teeth. However, they will simply swallow it whole if it is small enough. When they have larger prey though they use the teeth to rip off large chunks of it that they can swallow with ease.

They take advantage of every opportunity though when it comes to eating. They aren't going to pass up larger food sources just because they will have to break it down into smaller portions. They will consume more food as they get older too, with the average being approximately 3% of their overall body weight.

They tend to be able to find enough food all the time because they will look for it both on the surface and by diving. They also have no problem moving a couple of miles if they need to in order to find adequate food supplies for their pod.

Reproduction doesn't take place for them until they have achieved the all white coloring. This is generally from about 7 to 9 years of age. They will mate during migration at the locations where the rivers and the seas meet each other. The coloring of them as well as their size is what makes them attractive to mates. The males are larger than the females and they will quickly start to pair off.

After conception it is about 15 months before a pup is born. The mothers will start to move towards the shallow waters to have them so that they can help the young to the surface. This is very important as they must get air soon after birth or they will die.

Baby Beluga Whales aren't small though as they measure close to five feet when they are born. They only weigh about 100 pounds though. The milk that they drink from their mother is about 28% fat though so they will quickly start putting on the additional weight right away. They will feed from their mother for the first 12 to 24 months before they are completely weaned.

They only have a couple of predators that they have to worry about. The polar bear is a huge one though because it can walk around on the ice and it can swim. They are always on the look out for new young too at the shallow end of the water. Killer Whales are a threat to them in the water which is why the pods work to keep these young in the middle areas.

Humans have long hunted the Beluga Whales though in Alaska and other areas as a source of food. They only kill what they need to survive though. The hunting of them as a sport has taken place on a larger scale though and that has led to some serious concerns. Humans have also affected their survival through elements including global warming and pollution.

It is hard to get an exact count but it is estimated that 80,000 of them or less are left in the world today. They are considered to be an endangered animal due to the rate at which they are being eliminated. Sometimes viruses and bacteria can cause huge numbers of them to die rapidly. The fact that they also reproduce at a slow rate means it is hard to increase their numbers.