The beluga whale is a remarkable example of a species adapting to its environment. Residing in Artic regions, beluga whales’ white skin helps them blend into the vast icy and snowy openness, making it tough for predators to spot them. Its lack of dorsal fin is also an advantage, allowing the whales to glide under ice with ease.
Beluga whales — also known as white whales or sea canaries — are social and gregarious creatures, forming pods who bond by hunting, migrating and protecting each other. Although it’s estimated there are more than 150,000 belugas worldwide, some subpopulations, including Cook Inlet belugas, are considered endangered.
Belugas are one of the most commonly kept cetaceans (mammals comprising of whales, dolphins and porpoises) in captivity. Our friends at the Georgia Aquarium are at the forefront of beluga whale conservation efforts and are renowned for their educational programs and a focus on research.
Beluga whale fun facts
- Beluga whales have the most diverse diet of any of the smaller whales. They consume over 100 species of marine freshwater fish, mollusks and crustaceans.
- They travel back and forth between fresh and salt water.
- Their skin is 10 times thicker than dolphin skin.
- Belugas have good vision, but scientists are unsure if they possess color vision.
- They can swim backward.
- Belugas are adept at making sound, and increased vocalizations have been observed during social interactions.
- Females give birth every two to four years and only to one calf at a time.
Watch for an upcoming episode of Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild as Co-Hosts Peter Gros and Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant dive into a beluga whale metabolic study conducted by the Georgia Aquarium. This study will help determine beluga whales’ dietary needs (hint: they need lots of food!) and how that information can inform conservation policies where belugas are endangered.
