Beluga Whale

Beluga Whale: A gregarious white whale of Arctic coasts primarily inhabiting areas with sea ice

Size at birth 1.5m (5 feet); Sexual maturity at 5-8 years; Females have calves every 2-3 years; Longevity over 35 years, possibly more then 50 years; Behavior; Vocal and gregarious

Wide range of prey including primarily fish, cephalopods, and crustaceans; Echolocate prey with sonar

Arctic and subarctic, often in or near sea ice or glacial ice; Coastal waters and estuaries, shelf break, and deep basins; Circumpolar but discontinuous distributionShelf & coastal, North Pacific to Chukchi & Beaufort Seas

Newborns dark gray, subadults light gray, adults white; No dorsal fin, but dorsal ridge; Head with prominent melon and short beak; Flexible neck allows them to turn their heads