Mammals · Artiodactyla · Monodontidae

Beluga Whale

Delphinapterus leucas

Near Threatened

It could become endangered in the near future if current threats go unchecked. See full glossary

Nicknamed the 'sea canary' for its wide repertoire of high-pitched calls and whistles, audible even through a ship's hull.

Weight

up to 1.5 t

Size

2.5 m – 6 m

Lifespan

42 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Irregular activity

Active at irregular times, by day or night depending on circumstances.

Social structure

Hierarchical pack

Lives in an organised hierarchical group, typical of cooperative hunters.

Sighting difficulty

Moderate

PolarCarnivore Variable activity In packs Near Threatened Polar Mammal

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Fun facts

It is nicknamed the 'sea canary' for its wide repertoire of calls.
It has no dorsal fin, an adaptation that lets it swim beneath solid sea ice.
Its colour changes from brownish grey at birth to white in adulthood.
comunicaciónIt can deliberately change the shape of its forehead using a fatty organ called the melon, used both for echolocation and possibly for social display.
anatomíaIt is one of the few cetaceans able to turn its neck noticeably, because unlike other dolphins its neck vertebrae are not fused.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Arctic and subarctic waters, including shallow, highly turbid estuaries
Birth weight: Born grey, lightening steadily to pure white in adulthood
Size at birth: Born grey
Sexual maturity: Female: ~5.75-5.9 years | Male: ~8.75 years
Gestation / incubation: 12-15 months (more precise references give 435-491 days)
Litter / clutch size: 1 young per birth, on a breeding cycle of some 3 years

Sources consulted: IAAAM Archive VIN; Journal of Cetacean Research (Cumberland Sound growth study); MarineBio; Ocean Info; Animal Diversity Web; Spiderzoon