A beluga whale stranded in the river Seine in northern France for more than. Belugas that spend the summer in Hudson Bay estuaries migrate north into the open bay in the winter.īelugas may migrate to either shallower or deeper waters. The whale will be transported by refrigerated truck to a seawater basin in a Channel port for observation and treatment. Other populations of belugas migrate north in the autumn. It is one of two members of the family Monodontidae, along with the narwhal, and the only member of the genus Delphinapterus. INTERESTING FACT Beluga whales can swim forwards and backwards. HABITAT Sticking to Arctic and sub-Arctic waters, they share similar territory to narwhals and often migrate with bowhead whales and feed on fish, worms and crustaceans. Beluga whale, white whale (Delphinapterus leucas) Social behavior Much as a common bottlenose dolphin ( Tursiops truncatus) beluga is a highly sociable animal it frequently forms small groups containing up to 25 whales, yet usually one group holds about 10 animals. One population summers in the Mackenzie River estuary of Northwest Territories, Canada, and migrates 5,000 km (3,105 mi.) southwest to coastal areas of the Bering Sea in the winter. The beluga whale ( / blu /) ( Delphinapterus leucas) is an Arctic and sub-Arctic cetacean. CONSERVATION STATUS Beluga whales are classified as near threatened. Most beluga whales migrate south as the ice pack advances in the autumn. Some beluga populations make seasonal migrations while others remain in a relatively small area year-round.Įnvironmental conditions determine migration behavior. In the summer many populations are found in warm-water estuaries and river basins.īelugas seem to be well adapted to both a cold ocean habitat and a warmer freshwater habitat. Habitatīelugas swim among icebergs and ice floes in the icy waters of the arctic and subarctic, where water temperatures may be as low as 0☌ (32☏).īelugas are generally found in shallow coastal waters, often in water barely deep enough to cover their bodies. Belugas are about 5 feet long at birth and weigh 90130 pounds. Belugas have been found 1,995 km (1,240 mi.) up the Amur River, and 965 km (600 mi.) up the Yukon. Beluga whales have a very thick blubber layer that can be up to 5 inches thick. During certain times of the year they are also found in large rivers.ĭuring certain times of the year belugas can be found in large rivers such as the Amur River of Russia, and the Yukon and St.
Lawrence.īeluga whales inhabit the Arctic Ocean and its adjoining seas.
They inhabit the Arctic Ocean and its adjoining seas, including the Sea of Okhotsk, the Bering Sea, the Gulf of Alaska, the Beaufort Sea, Baffin Bay, Hudson Bay, and the Gulf of St. Beluga whales are entirely arctic and subarctic.
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