Details
Delphinapterus leucas
A white toothed whale of Arctic and subarctic waters. Its rounded forehead, flexible neck, and many calls earned the nickname sea canary.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
Belugas use Arctic seas, subarctic bays, estuaries, shallow coasts, and seasonal ice edges. Summer aggregations often occur in estuaries and warm shallows.
Adults are white, lack a dorsal fin, and have a rounded melon. A flexible neck lets them turn the head more than most whales.
They live in groups and use calls and echolocation for contact and feeding. Seasonal movements follow ice openings, breathing areas, and prey.
They eat fish, squid, shrimp, crabs, and bottom-dwelling animals, often searching shallow seafloors and suction-feeding prey.
Females bear single calves that are gray at birth and whiten with age. Strong mother-calf bonds develop within social groups.
Status varies by population. Climate change, vessel noise, pollution, and Arctic development affect their habitat and movements.
