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Common name: white whales or beluga whale
 | Size |
Male white whales can reach lengths from 11 to 15 feet long and weigh about 3,300 lb. Female whales reach lengths from 9.5 to 13 ft. long and weigh 3,000 lb.
Calves are about 5 feet long at birth and weigh about 170 lb. When it's born, a calf is a grayish color, then becomes yellowish-white to creamy-white as grows up.
| Fin Facts |
Beluga whales do not have a dorsal fin.
| Where are they found? |
You can find white whales in arctic and subarctic waters. During certain times of the year they can be found in rivers like the St. Lawrence in Canada or the Yukon in Alaska.
| What do they eat? |
Beluga whales eat many different kinds of fish including capelin, cod, and smelt. They also eat invertebrates including crabs, clams, shrimp, and snails.
| Highlights |
White whales are social animals, living in groups called pods. A pod can consist of 2 to 25 animals. Because white whales are such vocal (noisy) whales they've been nicknamed, "sea canaries." Beluga whales are hunted by killer whales and polar bears. These noisy animals White whales are one of the few whales that can turn their head. Other whales have fused neck bones. The beluga, however, can turn its head right, left and up-and-down. They also can "make faces." They don't smile or frown like people, but have flexible lips and forehead. The forehead area is called the "melon." The melon is the acoustical lens that sends out sound used for echolocation and communication. Current research shows that most beluga whale populations do not make major migrations. The population that lives in the MacKenzie estuary, however, does migrate to the Central Bering Sea. They may travel south to avoid the Arctic ice pack expansion (during the winter). The beluga whale is considered vulnerable by the IUCN.
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