Beluga whales are a mid-sized whale that can be 1.5m at birth and grow to approximately 4m in length. Adult belugas are easily distinguishable by their all-white color, prominent rounded foreheads (melon), and lack of dorsal fin. Beluga are most closely related to narwhals (or "unicorn whales") and are toothed whales (odontocetes).

Where do beluga whales live?

Beluga are ice adapted whales and are found throughout the Arctic with populations as far south as James Bay and the St. Lawrence River in Canada. Beluga can in live in very thick ice but do need to surface to breath so will move to areas where there is predictable open water in the winter. This means that in some areas, like western Hudson Bay, beluga more north in the winter to the Hudson Straight were currents keep open water available.

Do belugas live in groups?

Yes, live cam viewers will immediately notice that belugas are very social mammals. They usually reside with other belugas in groups called pods and communicate with each other through a series of clicks, clangs, and whistles. As you may hear, these whales have also learned how to mimic other sounds. Their talkativeness has earned them the nickname "canaries of the sea."

What do belugas eat?

Beluga diets vary across their range but primarily consist of fish, especially cod and capelin. They also forage on the sea floor and eat benthic fish, crustaceans, squid, and worms. Beluga have simple teeth which can be used to grab and chew prey but they also rely on suction feeding a lot of the time. Unlike many other kinds of whales, belugas have very flexible necks that help them to forage on the sea floor and on the underside of sea ice.

Why are the smaller belugas a different color?

We don’t know exactly why beluga change colour throughout their life but both beluga and narwhal get whiter with age. Baby belugas, or calves, are often dark gray at birth and stay that way as yearlings before starting to turning lighter each year when they moult. Some whales will be mature while they are still grey but all white whales have reached sexual maturity. Calves stay and nurse with their mother on average two years but are sometimes weaned at three years of age.

How long do belugas live?

The lifespan of beluga has been hotly debated over the year as scientists gathered evidence to interpret growth layers in the teeth of whales. We now think that two layers are formed each year and this means that a beluga's lifespan is probably in the range of 25 to 30 years. You may read in places ages that are double that and it is because of the debate between 1 and 2 growth layers per year.

What animals prey on belugas?

Across their range beluga face different threats but we are very fortunate that the Western Hudson Bay whales are considered to be not at risk. Depending where they live beluga whales include man, killer whales, and polar bears as their predators. The threat that scientists and northerners are most concerned about is climate change and how that might impact these whales. Beluga are somewhat resilient to warmer conditions (we know because they are found in “southern” waters like the St Lawrence) but they are an ice adapted species and when there is no ice there is no beluga. We also know that with less ice there usually are more humans so the combined threats of climate change, increased human presence, and changes to the ecosystem will not be good for beluga.

Enjoying the beluga cam and helping with the beluga bits project will help conserve this species because the knowledge we gain about a healthy population can tell us when other populations have recovered and give us hints if this population if facing greater threats.