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BELUGA FACTS
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Description
The Beluga is the only species of whale that is completely white. Calves are born gray and become whiter with age. They have no dorsal fin, but have a low ridge along their back. The flippers are short. The head is rounded.
Other Names
White Whale, Belukha, Sea Canary
Size
Length: males 3.4m - 4.9m; females 3.3m - 4m. Weight: males 800kg -1500kg; females 540kg - 790kg
Environment
inlets, fjords, channels, bays, and shallow waters of the artic
Food
fish, shrimp, worms, octopus, squid. Prey is eaten whole as they do not have large teeth.
Breeding
A single calf is born between May and July after a gestation period of 14 months. The calf is gray at birth. It is fully weaned after about 12-24 months. Females give birth every 2 to 3 years.
Range
arctic and sub-arctic waters along the coast of Canada, Alaska, Greenland, Norway, and the Soviet Union
Conservation Status
The conservation status in the 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals is "vulnerable".
Classification
| Class: | Mammalia | | Order: | Cetacea | | Family: | Monodontidae | | Genus: | Delphinapterus | | Species: | leucas | | Common Name: | Beluga |
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