![]() The world population of beluga whales is estimated to be about 60,000 to 80,000. Belugas that spend the summer in Hudson Bay estuaries migrate north into the open bay in the winter.īelugas may migrate to either shallower or deeper waters. INTERESTING FACT Beluga whales can swim forwards and backwards. ![]() HABITAT Sticking to Arctic and sub-Arctic waters, they share similar territory to narwhals and often migrate with bowhead whales and feed on fish, worms and crustaceans. Other populations of belugas migrate north in the autumn. CONSERVATION STATUS Beluga whales are classified as near threatened. It is one of two members of the family Monodontidae, along with the narwhal, and the only member of the genus Delphinapterus. One population summers in the Mackenzie River estuary of Northwest Territories, Canada, and migrates 5,000 km (3,105 mi.) southwest to coastal areas of the Bering Sea in the winter. The beluga whale ( / blu /) ( Delphinapterus leucas) is an Arctic and sub-Arctic cetacean. ![]() Most beluga whales migrate south as the ice pack advances in the autumn. Some beluga populations make seasonal migrations while others remain in a relatively small area year-round.Įnvironmental conditions determine migration behavior. In the summer many populations are found in warm-water estuaries and river basins.īelugas seem to be well adapted to both a cold ocean habitat and a warmer freshwater habitat. Habitatīelugas swim among icebergs and ice floes in the icy waters of the arctic and subarctic, where water temperatures may be as low as 0☌ (32☏).īelugas are generally found in shallow coastal waters, often in water barely deep enough to cover their bodies. The beluga whale is most commonly found in the waters around the Arctic and sub-Arctic. Belugas have been found 1,995 km (1,240 mi.) up the Amur River, and 965 km (600 mi.) up the Yukon. During certain times of the year they are also found in large rivers.ĭuring certain times of the year belugas can be found in large rivers such as the Amur River of Russia, and the Yukon and St. Every aspect of this species' life is astounding from the incredible depths they dive and distances they can travel under the ice to their epic. It is one of two members of the family Monodontidae, along with the narwhal, and the only member of the genus Delphinapterus. The beluga, or white whale, is central to the cultures of Native Peoples across the Arctic and subarctic and we have partnered with these communities to study, conserve and co-manage these whales. Lawrence.īeluga whales inhabit the Arctic Ocean and its adjoining seas. The beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) is an Arctic and sub-Arctic cetacean. They inhabit the Arctic Ocean and its adjoining seas, including the Sea of Okhotsk, the Bering Sea, the Gulf of Alaska, the Beaufort Sea, Baffin Bay, Hudson Bay, and the Gulf of St. Beluga whales are entirely arctic and subarctic.
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