The Beluga Whale

 Beluga whales (also known as white whales) are one of the smallest whales within the cetacean species. They have heads that are shaped as a dome, short beaks, and are VERY social and playful.  They also have very flexible necks compared to other whales.

They are often found in the arctic ocean's where it can get down to 32 F (0 C), so they have a thick layer of blubber to keep them warm.

They travel in pods with an average of 2-1000 whales. They communicate by using different clicks and high pitched whistles. They even will bump their heads together to communicate (like a high-five). They weigh anywhere from 2,000-3,500 pounds. They are usually 10-17 feet long, though the female is slightly smaller than the male. Beluga whales can live to be 80 years old!

Echolocation Echolocation is used to find food from far away distances and to navigate where there going in dark places. They send a low pitch sound which comes out of there forehead and when it hits an object it bounces back. The greater the distance, the longer it will take for the sound to return back to them.

Babies Baby beluga whales are called calves. The mom haves 1 calve an average of 3 years. Newborns are born 3 feet long and are remained nursing till they are 2 years of age. When they are born they are a dark grey or a brownish color, but when they mature they turn bright white.

Diet Beluga Whales eat a lot! Not just a lot of food but a lot of different food. They will eat fish, crustaceans, krill, squid, octopus, crabs,...etc.  They typically eat 70 pounds of food per day and burn a lot of it off sense they are so energetic. They can go down 2,300 feet when they are on the hunt for food.

Extra Info on Pods There are usually more males than females in a pod. When they hunt together they usually only hunt in groups of 5. When they hunt they circle around the animal and attack it all at once.

Migration Beluga Whales will sometimes migrate depending on where they live. Some will travel a short distance and others will travel miles. 

Predators The main predators are polar bears and killer whales. They don't have to many though sense they swim in pods.