In the northern seas you can find an unusual mammal called " beluga whale" This animal is a middle link between a dolphin and a whale. The external shape has a strong resemblance to a dolphin, but in size it resembles a whale. In everyday life it is called " polar dolphin».
Features and habitat of the beluga whale
Beluga whale (from Latin Delphinapterus leucas) is a large mammal, the narwhal family, subspecies - toothed whales. considered due to its habitat - the seas of the Northern Ocean and polar reservoirs.
Distribution is circumpolar (50-80 degrees north latitude). Belukha lives in the following seas: Bering, White, Okhotsk, sometimes enters the Baltic Sea. During floods it can reach the following rivers: Ob, Yenisei, Lena. According to some reports, there is a separate population of beluga whales within the St. Lawrence River.
It is large in size: the male reaches a length of 6 meters, the female - up to 5 meters. Body weight ranges from 1.5 to 2 tons. Distinctive feature The beluga dolphin has a head, which prevents it from being confused with anyone else.
He can also turn his head, which is unusual for him. This is facilitated by fused cervical vertebrae. The fins on the chest are oval and small in size. The beluga whale, unlike dolphins, lacks a fin on its back, which is why it is also called the “wingless dolphin.”
Color Beluga dolphin vary and depends on the age of origin. Only born cubs have a blue and dark blue tint. Individuals that have reached the age of one year turn pale and acquire a gray or light gray color. Sometimes the color changes to a soft bluish color. Representatives of the population aged 3-5 years are pure white.
The character and lifestyle of the beluga whale
Beluga whales tend to gather in flocks. Groups are arranged approximately like this: a female with cubs or several dozen males. The way of life consists of systematic seasonal migrations.
In winter, they try to stick to the edges of icy water areas. Often during wintering a flock beluga whales thick ice binds and for many it ends tragically. Often groups migrate south when the covers have a very thick icing edge.
In spring, flocks gradually move to shallow waters, estuaries, bays, and fjords. This behavior is due to annual molting. They peel off the top dead layer by rubbing against pebbles or hard shores.
Migration always takes place along the same route. The fact is that beluga dolphin remembers the place of his birth and strives to return there every year. The beluga whale can be considered a full-fledged social creature in the group. Because they have actively developed communication: through sounds, body language and facial expressions.
Scientists have counted up to 50 different sounds that this animal can make. Sailors call whale beluga"canary of the sea." The animal has a good-natured character, which explains its main similarity with a dolphin. They are highly trainable, and you can often see exciting circus performances with their participation. Known cases of saving a person polar dolphin.
Beluga whale feeding
Belukhamammal feeds mainly on fish. Food intake is not done by grasping the carcass, but by absorption along with water. An adult, on average, eats up to 15 kg of fish per day.
Less often feeds on crustaceans and plankton. She loves salmon representatives very much and is ready to migrate after them across many thousands of kilometers. Because of this, it often swims into deep rivers and huge bays.
Beluga whale reproduction and lifespan
The period of love pleasures for belugas begins in the spring-summer range. To do this, they choose calmer coasts. Here they mate and offspring appear. Males often fight honorably for the female’s attention. Sexual maturity in males occurs at the age of 7-9 years, and in females - at 4-7 years.
Female polar dolphin beluga carries the cub for 14 months. The increase is carried out once every two to three years. The female gives birth in warm water, closer to the shore.
Feeds the baby milk for 12-24 months. At birth, the cub reaches a length of about 1.5 meters. Twins are rare. Beluga whales stop giving birth in their second decade of life. Average age The age that a mammal reaches is the range of 30 to 40 years. The main advantage of the beluga is its incredible dexterity and evasiveness.
The usual speed of an adult reaches 3-9 km/h, when scared - up to 22 km/h. Ability to remain underwater without air for approximately 15 minutes. Every minute and a half they masterfully emerge to breathe.
Beluga whales have low vision, so they receive information about nearby objects using echo location. They emit click-like ultrasounds (there are special air sacs). A separate part of the brain reads all the data about nearby objects. This involves an acoustic lens on the forehead.
The most dangerous time for polar dolphin- this is winter. In addition to the fact that flocks can be captured by ice, they have natural enemies. The most dangerous is. It is difficult to hide from her and often the persecution ends in tears. Therefore, beluga whales try not to swim far into the ocean.
Another dangerous predator that loves to feast on beluga whales is. During wintering of mammals, he watches for them near the water's edge and immobilizes the animal with a strong blow of his clawed paw.
Recently, another bad factor has appeared that reduces the population of these animals - environmental. A large amount of toxic waste from the enterprise is discharged into the ocean waters, which forces swarms to migrate to very remote cold places. It is they who often become a trap for a large number of individuals; the beluga whale simply freezes in the sea.
Beluga whale- a favorite of spectators in huge aquariums. The animal willingly makes contact, poses and allows itself to be photographed. Feels great in captivity and is an excellent neighbor for other exotic aquarium inhabitants.
You can often see beluga whales performing in the circus; they cope well with tasks and are easy to train. On photo of beluga whale they turn out almost snow-white, like angels descending onto the water.
The beluga whale is a mammal that belongs to the dolphin family and the suborder of toothed whales. In another way, we can say that this is a polar dolphin, because its habitat is only the North Sea Arctic Ocean. Also, this animal can live freely in northern rivers that flow into large bodies of water. The Yenisei, Lena, and Ob are the most popular rivers where you can meet beluga whales. It swims into the mouths of these river systems tens of kilometers up, following the current. In any case, whales prefer the sea most of all, because here they can find the right amount of food and vegetation.
Description and characteristics
- In appearance, the whale is a large sea animal. The body length of the male reaches 6 meters, and the mass of some is equal to two tons. The average weight of an animal is 1.5 tons. Females are much smaller in this regard. Their length reaches 5 meters, and their weight varies from 11.5 tons. The body color of the northern beluga whale is mainly white. This is where the name of the animal comes from. Newborn beluga whale babies are dark blue or slate blue in color..
- Over time, the color fades and becomes gray, which over time begins to give off a blue tint. Typically, the pronounced blueness begins to fade and disappears completely at the age of 4–5 years. Thus, the color of a whale at this age acquires a permanent white tint, which remains with the animal until the end of its life.
- The beluga whale's head is quite small in relation to the whole body. It has the characteristic frontal protuberance that other dolphins have, but belugas do not have the beak that is so common in dolphins. It is worth noting that the animal can rotate its head freely, while turning it in different directions up, down, and also sideways. This happens thanks to the mobile cervical vertebrae of the beluga whale. Thus, the vertebrae of the animal are not fused together, but are separated by cartilaginous layers, unlike other mammals.
- This polar dolphin also has well-developed muscles located on the animal’s face. Thus, the whale’s face can change its expression, sometimes you can notice joy, sadness, and sometimes complete indifference and renunciation. The pectoral fins of the beluga whale are quite wide and well developed, but they appear small compared to the rest of the body. The tail of the northern dolphin is very well developed; the individual does not have a dorsal fin. This is mainly due to the habitat of the fish, because among the eternal glaciers, such a device in the back area can only get in the way and lead to unnecessary discomfort.
The animal has very thick skin, which has good and comfortable thermal insulation. The thickness of such a cover is two centimeters. Under the skin of the individual there is a rather thick layer of fat. The thickness of subcutaneous fat can reach up to 15 centimeters and reliably protect the animal’s organs and immunity from the effects of low temperatures and frosts. The animal is accustomed to swimming at a speed of 10 kilometers per hour.
Can swim perfectly on its back and even backwards. The beluga whale is capable of swimming to a depth of 300 meters, like other species of dolphins. The animal can swim underwater for about 15 minutes. When diving, rises to the surface of the water for two minutes to swallow fresh air.
How does reproduction occur and how many years does it live?
Nutritional features and character of the mammal
Beluga whales usually live in flocks. Moreover, one such flock can include a large number of separate groups. A large number of females along with their cubs are able to unite in such large groups; the remaining males, as a rule, gather in the rest. IN spring time the mammal tends to swim closer to the shores of the northern type. Here, in narrow bays near river mouths, animals live throughout the warm season.
At this time, a large number of fish swim in shallow water. The animal's diet mainly consists of capelin, cod, and flounder, but it can also eat navaga or cod. The animal happily feasts on salmon and herring, and does not disdain crustaceans and mollusks. The beluga whale does not swallow its victims with its mouth, but sucks in with the flow of water.
In spring, these animals begin actively shed. The top layer of skin, which has already begun to die, is usually peeled off by belugas themselves with the help of small stones and pebbles. Animals itch about them with their big bodies, and the old skin gradually slides into the water in large parts. What is considered unusual is that this the animal is accustomed to spending the warm seasons in the same places and so on all my life. That is, after winter migration, they return again to the areas where they were once born. These mammals do not act differently.
When cold and frosty weather sets in outside, animals leave their coastal living areas and begin migrating to the edges of the eternal ice fields. If the amount of food a beluga has is low, then the animal is accustomed to swimming into an area with drifting ice. They can live peacefully in these areas, only occasionally sticking their muzzle out of the ice porridge.
Animals are accustomed to choosing large holes, next to which they gather in large groups. It often happens that several such holes appear in the ice. Sometimes they occur at a great distance from each other. If the wormwood suddenly becomes covered with a crust of ice, the animal will quickly be able to break it with the help of its powerful and large body. Sometimes it happens that ice floes move towards each other, creeping due to the influence of strong currents and winds from the north. At this time, access to oxygen may suddenly be cut off, and in this case, a whole huge flock of beluga whales may die under water.
The main opponents of belugas
- The beluga whale does not have many main enemies - only two. These include the polar bear and killer whale. Moreover, both of these predators are quite dangerous enemies: one is sea, and the other is land. polar bear he just loves to eat these animals. He is especially attracted to their thick layer of fat. The bear waits until winter comes and then settles down near large thawed patches in the ice. As the polar dolphin surfaces to breathe fresh air, the bear's large paw lands on the animal. The stunned body of a mammal is dragged by a bear earth's surface, and begins to eat on it.
- Killer whales they also won’t be able to refuse to eat a beluga whale. They mercilessly attack belugas in the water itself. It is very difficult and almost impossible for the chosen beluga to escape from such a ferocious and strong predator. A killer whale can swim several times faster than a beluga whale, so the mammal almost always ends its life in the jaws of its enemy.
What do you need to know?
Compared to its relatives, this mammal has well developed muscles on the face, thanks to which the animal can freely express emotions, showing joy, sadness or anger. Some photographs show that the animal is capable of rejoicing, laughing and even showing special contempt or indifference to others.
WITH Latin language the name of this mammal can be translated as a dolphin without wings, because the animal does not have a fin on its back.
It is also very strange that beluga whale calves are born with a distinctive coloration from their adult parent. Photos of the animal's small offspring show that up to 1 year of age, their body has a dark blue tint.
Now the real population figure of these mammals is unknown to anyone. But experts and researchers say that their number is increasing at a small pace after the events that happened to them in past centuries, when they were hunted by whalers.
Animals learn quickly and are quickly trained, so they are often hired as performers in dolphinariums. In addition, they are very friendly and calm: it has never happened that a dolphin attacked a person or put his life in serious danger.
Economic use of beluga whale
This is an animal of limited harvest (only its skin and subcutaneous fat are used). For the last thirty years, commercial hunting of beluga whales has been prohibited in Russia. At the same time, several dozen individuals are caught per year in order to satisfy the needs of the northern peoples and sent to scientific laboratories or to a dolphinarium.
The beluga whale quickly adapts to captivity conditions and is quickly trained. The mammal first performed in Barnum's circus in 1861. Also beluga whales were able to master a number of specialties: delivery of additional equipment to divers, search for lost things, shooting with special equipment under water. All these qualities of the beluga whale make it an invaluable assistant for humans who help them fully explore the expanses of the Arctic.
Catching and hunting beluga whales in the northern regions dates back to the 5th century. After October revolution she was caught using nets, firearms and seines. Most beluga whales were caught in the regions of Sakhalin, in the White Sea, in the Czech Bay, Novaya Zemlya, in the Ob Bay, and also in the Yenisei Gulf. The greatest popularity of beluga whale fishing arose in the 30s, at that time in the north of Russia and the Far East, about 500 units of mammals of this species were caught in one year.
Further, a new increase in the number of caught individuals occurred in the 50s, but at that time the production of beluga whales per year did not exceed 300 units. Afterwards, the beluga whale fishery declined significantly. Outside the territory of Russia, the capture of beluga whales has always received reduced attention.
Population protection
Since 1994, the beluga whale has been listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. According to the general state in May 1999, only 30 flocks of beluga whales could be counted in the world, total number which amounted to 100–200 thousand heads (if you do not take into account Russia). Now the main threat to beluga whales comes from intensive fishing, as well as from the industrial development of Arctic territories and air pollution with various pesticides and industrial waste.
Mammal roar
In Russian you can even find an expression - the phraseological unit “roar a beluga whale,” which means reproducing loud sounds emanating from the beluga whale itself. Usually this phraseological unit is used when a person cries and sobs too loudly. In the 19th century, there were two spelling options for the name of this animal: beluga and beluga. Now in Russian the word beluga mainly means beluga fish, but the expression beluga is also used to define a mammal.
Delphinapterus leucas Pallas, 1776
Squad: Cetaceans (Cetacea)
Suborder: Toothed whales (Odontoceti)
Family: Narwhals (Monodontidae)
Genus: Beluga whales (DelphinfpterusLaceped.1804)
Other name:
Belukha, Beluga (equivalent, the first is most common)
Where he lives:
The beluga whale population is divided into 29 local herds according to their flying areas, of which about 12 are located in Russia. Distributed circumpolarly, between 50° and 80° N, inhabiting all Arctic, as well as the Bering and Okhotsk seas; In winter, visits to the Baltic Sea are known. In pursuit of fish (salmon at spawning), until the middle of the last century, beluga whales entered large rivers (Ob, Yenisei, Lena, Amur), sometimes going upstream hundreds of kilometers.
Size:
Beluga whales are characterized by sexual dimorphism: males are usually larger than females of the same age. Weight: males reach 850-1500 kg, females 650-1360 kg with a typical body length of 3.6-4.2 m. The largest males reach 6 m in length and 2 tons in weight.
The beluga's head is spherical, "lobed", the lower jaws practically do not protrude forward without a beak. The vertebrae in the neck are not fused together, so the beluga whale, unlike most whales, is able to turn its head. This makes it easier for her to navigate and maneuver in ice. The pectoral fins are small and oval in shape. The dorsal fin is absent - this allows the beluga to move more freely under the ice. Hence the Latin name of the genus Delphinapterus leucas - "white dolphin without a dorsal fin."
The skin with a loose layer of epidermis (up to 12 mm thick) resembles an external shock absorber and partly protects beluga whales from damage when swimming among the ice. They are saved from hypothermia by a layer of subcutaneous fat up to 10-12 cm thick, in some places up to 18 cm, which is up to 40% of the beluga whale’s body weight. The skin color is monochromatic. It changes with age: newborns are light brown due to a thick layer of epidermis, which, as the baby grows, falls off in pieces and the lower parts of the dermis rise to the surface with an abundance of dark pigment - melanin. The general coloration becomes dark blue, growth and molting continue and the young become gray, then bluish-gray; individuals older than 4-7 years are pure white.
Behavior and lifestyle:
Some beluga whale populations undergo regular migrations. They are associated with the seasonal movements of schools of fish. Thus, the movement of the beluga whale population from Cook Inlet in Alaska repeats the movement of its main prey - salmon.
In spring, beluga whales begin to move to the shore - to desalinated shallow bays, fjords and the mouths of northern rivers. Flying off the coast is due to the presence of food here and the higher temperature of the desalinated water. The latter improves the conditions for molting and shedding the old layer of epidermis. Often, in order to remove the dead surface layer of skin, beluga whales rub against the bottom - sand in shallow water. Beluga whales are attached to the same flying areas, visiting them from year to year. Tracking individual individuals has shown that beluga whales remember their birthplace and the route to it after wintering.
Local herds in summer (reproductive aggregations) play a dual role in the biology of the species. Firstly, they ensure population reproduction and isolation from neighboring local herds, and secondly, they play vital role in terms of implementing all types of individual contacts (sexual, play, etc.) between members of the herd, maintaining hierarchical relationships and promoting the upbringing and training of young animals. This ensures the preservation of the social structure of the local herd and the individual and group status of its members.
Not all populations migrate. Their necessity is determined by specific ice conditions and the presence of food accumulations.
In winter, beluga whales, as a rule, stick to the edges of ice fields, but sometimes penetrate far into the glaciation zone, where winds and currents support cracks, leads and polynyas. When large areas become icy, they make massive migrations from these areas. The polynyas to which belugas come up to breathe can be several kilometers apart. Beluga whales find them using direction finding and sometimes location. But sometimes they find themselves trapped in ice captivity if the distance to clean water exceeds 3-4.5 km. The dorsal part of the body and the upper part of the head consist of thick and durable skin, which allows them to be used to support wormwood, breaking ice up to 4-6 centimeters thick.
Beluga whales are social animals. The beluga whale herd consists of clans, and clans are made up of families organized on the principle of matriarchy. The family consists of primary family groups: mother and 1-2 cubs. Males in the herd and clan play the role of guards and scouts for fish accumulations. At large concentrations of fish, several herds of beluga whales sometimes gather, and the feeding animals gather in herds numbering hundreds and even thousands of animals.
Nutrition:
The basis of the beluga's diet is fish, mainly schooling fish (capelin, cod, cod, herring, navaga, flounder, whitefish and salmon species); to a lesser extent - crustaceans and cephalopods. Beluga whales do not grab prey, especially benthic organisms, but suck it up. An adult consumes about 15 kg of food per day. But such lucky days rarely fall out.
Reproduction:
In the Sea of Okhotsk, mating in beluga whales occurs in April - May, in the Gulf of Ob - in July, in the Barents and Kara Seas - from May to August, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence - from February to August, and in Hudson Bay, fertilization of females occurs from March to September. Thus, the mating period lasts about 6 months, but the bulk of females are fertilized in a relatively short time- end of April - beginning - mid-July. During the rest of the year, in most cases only individual animals mate.
The childbearing period is extended, as is the mating period, and childbirth can occur from early spring throughout the summer months. Thus, pregnancy in beluga whales lasts 11.5 months; there is an opinion that this period can reach 13-14 months. As a rule, females give birth at the mouths of rivers that bring more warm waters. The female brings one cub 140-160 cm long, very rarely - two. The lactation period lasts about 12 months. The next mating can occur one to two weeks after birth.
Lifespan:
Life expectancy in nature is 32-40 years (the known maximum age of a female is 44 years).
Number:the exact number is not known.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, there are about 150,000 beluga whales in the world. Russian populations, according to the International Whale Commission, number up to 27,000 individuals. At the same time, the 3 largest groups of the Sea of Okhotsk number up to 20,000 beluga whales.
Natural enemies:
The enemy of beluga whales is the killer whale.
Threats to the species:
The main danger for these whales is toxic waste that pollutes their habitat, as well as industrial displacement from their Arctic habitats, especially key areas - breeding and feeding areas. IN last years Noise pollution has sharply increased - due to the development of shipping and an increase in the flow of wild tourists, which interferes with normal reproduction and leads to a decrease in the number of cubs - i.e. reduction in herd size.
Interesting Facts
In winter, the beluga whale hunts for cod, flounder, goby, pollock, making very deep dives - up to 300-1000 m, and remaining under water for up to 25 minutes. Despite its massive size, the beluga whale is distinguished by its agility; she is able to swim on her back and even backwards. Usually swims at a speed of 3-9 km/h; when frightened, it can make jerks of up to 22 km/h.
For the variety of sounds they made, whalers in the 19th century. The beluga whale was nicknamed “the canary of the sea” ( sea canary), and the Russians developed the expression “beluga roar” - the characteristic roar of a male during the rut.
Researchers counted about 50 beluga whales sound signals: whistling, squealing, chirping, squealing, grinding, piercing scream, roar and others. In addition, beluga whales use “body language” (slapping the water with their tail fins) and even facial expressions when communicating.
In addition to screams, beluga whales emit clicks in the ultrasonic range. A system of air sacs in the soft tissues of the head takes part in their production, and the radiation is focused by a special fat pad on the forehead - a melon (acoustic lens). Reflected from surrounding objects, the clicks return to the beluga; The “antenna” is the lower jaw, which transmits vibrations to the middle ear cavity. Echo analysis allows the animal to get an accurate picture of its surroundings. The beluga whale has excellent hearing and echolocation. These animals are capable of hearing in a wide range of frequencies from 40-75 Hz to 30-100 kHz.
The beluga whale also has well-developed vision, both under water and above its surface. The beluga whale's vision is probably colored, because... its retina contains rods and cones - photoreceptor cells. However, studies have not yet confirmed this
Compiled by: Member of the Board of the Marine Mammal Council,
Head Laboratory of Marine Mammals IO RAS, Doctor of Biological Sciences V.M. Belkovich
The world's oceans amaze not only ordinary people, but also seasoned researchers with the diversity of living organisms. According to ichthyologists, only 10% of marine inhabitants are known and more or less studied by modern scientists. This is due to the difficulties that marine explorers face: great depth, lack of daylight, pressure from water masses, threat from underwater predators. But still, some have been studied quite well. For example, the beluga whale is a mammal from the suborder of toothed whales, belonging to the small family of narwhals.
Appearance
To understand what a beluga whale looks like, you need to imagine a huge dolphin with a small head without a beak (“nose”). A characteristic feature of the animal is the presence of a large convex forehead on its head, which is why the beluga whale is often called “foreheaded”. Cervical vertebrae they are not fused, so these representatives of cetaceans, unlike most of their relatives, can turn their heads in different directions.
Beluga whales have small oval pectoral fins and a powerful tail, but lack a dorsal fin.
Adult animals (over three years old) have uniform white skin, which is where their name comes from. Babies are born blue or even dark blue, but after a year their skin lightens and acquires a delicate bluish-gray tint.
The beluga whale is a mammal of impressive size: males reach 5-6 meters in length and weigh at least 1.5-2 tons, females are smaller.
Habitats
These marine inhabitants have chosen the waters of the Arctic Ocean - the Kara, Barents, and Chukchi Seas. In the White Sea they are often found nearby. Beluga whales are most densely distributed between 50° and 80° northern latitude. They inhabit the marginal seas of the Pacific Ocean - Okhotsk, Japan and Bering Sea, and also enter the Baltic Sea (Atlantic Ocean basin).
The beluga whale is a marine mammal, but in pursuit of prey it often enters the large northern rivers - Amur, Ob, Lena, Yenisei, swimming hundreds of kilometers upstream.
Nutrition
The basis of the diet of beluga whales is schooling fish - capelin, herring, cod, cod, and Pacific navaga. They like to eat flounder, whitefish or salmon, and less often hunt crustaceans and cephalopods.
They go fishing in large flocks. “Talking” to each other and acting together, they drive the fish into shallow water, where it is more convenient to catch them.
The white beluga sucks in its prey and swallows it whole. An adult consumes at least 15 kg of fish per day.
Lifestyle, habits and economic significance
Keith or This will be discussed below. Now let's talk about the habits of these sea inhabitants. They navigate the waters in small flocks of 10-15 individuals, with males swimming separately from females with cubs. The average speed of movement is 10-12 km/h, but in case of danger they can accelerate to 25 km/h.
Like an ordinary dolphin, the beluga whale can dive to a depth of 300 m, but every 5 minutes it comes to the surface to take a breath of fresh air. If necessary, can continuously remain under water for 15-20 minutes, but no more. This explains why beluga whales avoid glaciated areas in winter - the ice-covered surface of the water blocks their access to oxygen.
The animal's natural enemies are killer whales and polar bears. If a killer whale chases a beluga whale underwater, it will have no chance of salvation. The polar bear tracks down “white whales” near the wormwood and uses its paw to crush them when they emerge to the surface, so that they can later pull them out of the water and eat them.
Every spring, mammals molt in the literal sense of the word, that is, they shed old dead skin, for which they rub their backs and sides against pebbles in shallow water.
The beluga whale is a sociable and cheerful animal, friendly towards people, happy to make contact and amenable to training. There has not yet been a single recorded case of a “white whale” attacking a person. Therefore, these mammals often perform in dolphinariums and help divers, scouts, and explorers of the deep sea.
In nature, these cetaceans live up to 35-40 years, in captivity - up to 50 years.
Reproduction
Puberty in beluga whales occurs late: in females at the age of 4-5 years, and in males no earlier than 7-9 years. Before mating, which occurs in April-June, males hold spectacular but peaceful tournament fights, during which they do not harm each other. The winner retires with the female to a secluded place to mate.
Pregnancy lasts more than a year - approximately 14 months. Before giving birth, the female swims to river mouths, where the water is warmer. As a rule, only one cub up to one and a half meters long is born; twins are an extremely rare occurrence. The beluga whale is a mammal, that is, the female feeds her baby with milk. Feeding lasts up to two years, often at this time the beluga whale is already pregnant again. The ability to bear children is lost at the age of 20.
The kids stay close to their mothers until puberty, that is, they leave their native flock at the age of 4-6 years, after which the young animals gather in a new group.
Population status
The beluga whale is a protected mammal. The population of “white whales” declined greatly in the 18th-19th centuries, when they became the coveted prey of whalers due to their high-quality blubber, tasty tender meat and thick, strong skin. Later, the capture of beluga whales began to be controlled, and currently the number of these animals is, according to rough estimates, 200 thousand individuals. Therefore, there is no obvious threat of extinction of beluga whales, although they suffer greatly due to intensive human development of the Arctic and pollution of the waters of the Arctic Ocean.
Beluga whales have very developed facial muscles, so they are able to change their “facial” expression, that is, demonstrate sadness or anger, joy or boredom. Such amazing ability Not common to all underwater inhabitants.
Beluga whales swim in northern latitudes, their natural thermal insulation is provided by strong skin up to two centimeters thick and a thick layer of fat up to 15 cm thick. This protects the animals from hypothermia.
Beluga whales are called "polar canaries" or "singing whales" because they make up to 50 different sounds, as well as ultrasonic clicks, through which they communicate with each other. It is from the ability of “white whales” to make loud sounds that the Russian phraseology “roar like a beluga” comes from.
Beluga whale or dolphin?
Now you know everything about this sea creature. But the question remains open as to whether the beluga whale is a whale or a dolphin. People call it nothing more than a polar or white dolphin. This name arose due to the appearance and habitat of the animal. But in a biological sense, the beluga whale belongs to the order of whales, and the dolphin can be called its cousin. The evolutionary paths of their ancestors diverged several million years ago. Therefore, it is more correct to say that a beluga whale is not a dolphin.
The beluga whale, or polar dolphin, is one of the beautiful views toothed whales.
Appearance
Beluga whales change color throughout their lives. Newborn individuals have dark blue skin, by the time of puberty the skin becomes bluish-gray, and in adults it is snow-white without any inclusions or spots.
Beluga whales are quite large mammals. The body length of males can reach 6 meters and weight up to 2 tons. Females are smaller in size. The head of these animals is devoid of a beak, but has a pronounced frontal part. The neck of beluga whales has a unique structure for aquatic mammals. The cervical vertebrae of these animals are not fused with each other, due to which beluga whales can turn their heads.
The fins located on the chest are small and oval. There is no fin on the back, which is why belugas are also called “wingless dolphins.”
The thickness of the skin of beluga whales can reach 15 mm, which protects them from injuries from ice. They are protected from the cold by a subcutaneous layer of fat, which can reach a thickness of 15 cm.
Lifestyle and diet
The lion's share of beluga whales' diet consists of sturgeon fish, such as cod, herring, and capelin. Beluga whales do not disdain mollusks and crustaceans. In pursuit of prey, these animals can travel tens of kilometers.
Beluga whales make seasonal migrations. In the warm season, they live off the coast, in small bays and river mouths. The choice of such habitats is determined by the abundance of food here in the summer, the water temperature and the presence of pebbles in shallow water, against which belugas rub in order to remove “dead” skin. Beluga whales remember their flying locations and come to the same place every year.
In winter, beluga whales stay close to the ice edge. But sometimes they can swim into places of deep glaciation. Beluga whales are not afraid of ice, as they can break through ice cover several centimeters thick. There are also tragic cases when ice holes are covered with a very thick layer of ice and beluga whales cannot escape from this captivity.
The enemy of beluga whales on the shore is polar bear, and killer whales pose a danger in the water.
Beluga whales prefer to travel in groups. Females with cubs and males always live separately, uniting only while hunting for large schools of fish. In such cases, the group may number hundreds of individuals.
Beluga whales constantly communicate with each other, making various sounds. Scientists have identified about 50 sound signals.
Like dolphins, beluga whales can emit ultrasonic signals that are formed in the air sacs of the tissues of the head and focused in a fat pad located on the forehead, called an acoustic lens. These signals are reflected from various objects and are picked up by the lower jaw and then transmitted to the middle ear. These signals allow belugas to receive information about their environment.
Reproduction
Mating of individuals and the birth of young occur near the coasts. The mating season occurs in spring and summer. Fights for the female often occur among males. The gestation period is 14 months. More often, one cub is born, the body length of which does not exceed 160 cm. Feeding of the offspring can occur from one to 2 years.
Females are able to bear offspring from 4-7 years of age, and males reach maturity by 7-9 years. The lifespan of beluga whales is 40 years.
Beluga whale with calf. Spreading
Beluga whales can be found in the northern seas, such as the Sea of Okhotsk, the White Sea, and the Berengov Sea.
Population protection
Beluga whales are listed in the Red Book with the status "vulnerable". The main threat is not the hunting of beluga whales, but the pollution of their habitats with waste and the industrial development of the Arctic shelf.
Photo of a beluga whale. 
Photo of a beluga whale. 
Beluga whale. 
Beluga plays with water. 
Beluga whale in the dolphinarium. 
A beluga whale performs at a show in a dolphinarium. 
Beluga whales at the Vancouver Aquarium.