10 Surprising Truth About Beluga Whales

This year’s hit Korean series, Extraordinary Attorney Woo, has been making waves. The protagonist, “Woo Young Woo,” is a lawyer on the autism spectrum who has captivated audiences with his pure and sharp-witted charm, offering a character unlike any seen before. Woo Young Woo’s favorite animal in the drama is the whale. This has sparked public interest in whales, naturally leading to increased attention towards beluga whales, also known as white whales. Let’s delve into the hidden stories of belugas that we may not have known.

What is a beluga whale?

Beluga whales, also known as white whales, inhabit the Arctic and its surrounding areas. They are one of the species in the Monodontidae family, along with the narwhal. The beluga is also called the melonhead due to its white body and melon-like head. Currently, 22 species of beluga whales are known.

Beluga whale’s appearance

Beluga whales are smaller than other toothed whales. Their maximum weight is 2 tons (4,400 pounds), and their body length can reach 5.5 meters (18 feet). Males are noticeably larger than females. The average body length and weight of males are 3-4 meters (9.8-13.1 feet) and 607-1032 kg (1,338-2,275 pounds), respectively, while females average 3 meters (9.8 feet) in length and weigh between 408-627 kg (899-1,381 pounds). Males can be easily distinguished by their longer-wider heads, slender bellies, and chests.

Are beluga whales born white?

Beluga whales, are they always white? While they typically have white skin, they do not maintain this color throughout their lives. Newborns are dark gray, and even adults can change color. Adults periodically shed their skin, which leads to a return to white color.

Beluga whale habits

Beluga whales are friendly and typically form small groups of about ten individuals. The composition of these groups is not fixed, and members frequently move between groups. Beluga groups are classified into three main types: nursing groups composed of calves and their mothers, bachelor groups consisting entirely of males, and mixed groups consisting of whales with all genders.

What is the hunting method of beluga whales?

Beluga whales, as cooperative animals, often form organized groups for hunting. The animals within a group are social and follow each other around or rub against each other frequently, appearing to play or fight. When kept in captivity, belugas are seen constantly playing, making noise, and swimming around each other.

What is the speed of a beluga whale?

Beluga whales swim slower than other large-toothed whales. This is because their body shape is less streamlined than other whales, and the movement of their tail, which provides the most thrust, is limited. Unlike most whales, belugas can swim backward and do not leap out of the water like other baleen and large-toothed whales.

Beluga whale diet

Beluga whales, the most populous whale species in the Arctic Ocean, play a crucial role in the structure and function of the Arctic’s marine resources. Their diet varies depending on location and season. Beluga whales consume Arctic cod, flounder, northern shrimp, and capelin, depending on their location. They eat the most during the late winter and early spring when their fat layers are thickest and least in the fall when their fat layers are thinnest.

Beluga whale habitat

Beluga whales are most commonly seen in shallow waters near the coast. They are often found in river mouths during the summer, where they feed, mate, and give birth. Female belugas and young and immature males prefer open seas near the land, while mature males choose ice-covered waters near the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.

Belugas at risk of extinction

From the 18th century, Europe, the United States, and Russia commercially hunted whales, significantly decreasing the beluga population. The oil from the beluga’s melon was used as a high-quality lubricant for machine parts and clocks. Their thick, tough skin was used for belts, accessories, and shoelaces. In the 1920s, belugas were captured and compensated because they were considered a threat to the fishing industry as they ate large quantities of fish caught by fishermen. The current population of belugas is estimated at 200,000. While they are not classified as endangered, they are considered a species close to being endangered.

The beluga’s melon

The melon, a rounded protrusion on the forehead, sets belugas apart from typical whales. The melon is equipped with a detection technology that emits sound waves or vibrations to determine an object’s location, size, and movement speed based on the reflected waves from the object. The melon-shaped head is made up of fat and wax, with the brain located beneath this layer of fat. Belugas inflate air to change the shape of their heads to focus on the emission and reception of sound waves.