Beluga whale Facts

About the beluga whale

Belugas are built for life near ice. They have no dorsal fin, which lets them slip under ice easily, and a large share of their weight is blubber. On the front of the head sits the melon, a large, flexible bump that holds the echolocation organ. Sharp hearing and echolocation help them find their way and locate breathing holes in sheet ice. Males reach up to 5.5 m (18 ft) and 1,600 kg (3,530 lb).

Groups usually hold about 10 animals, but in summer hundreds or even thousands can gather in estuaries and shallow coastal waters. Belugas swim slowly yet can dive to 700 m (2,300 ft). What they eat depends on where they are and the season. Most belugas stay in the Arctic Ocean or along the coasts of Greenland, Russia and North America.

Did you know?

• The beluga's only living relative in the family Monodontidae is the narwhal.
• A beluga is bigger than a dolphin but smaller than a True's beaked whale.
• No other species shares the beluga's genus, Delphinapterus.