The Beluga Whale, sometimes referred to as the Sea Canary due to its twittering, high-pitched vocalization patterns, is found primarily in the Arctic and Subarctic. Small as whales go, this member of the cetacean family grows to be as much as five meters long, and is normally a pure white color, which has earned it the nickname of “White Whale”. Diving with these animals is simply unforgettable; whether you go in the buff like Russian scientist Natalia Avseenko, or if you prefer to venture under the ice in full kit.
Beluga Basics
Part of the Monodontidae family, and closely related to the Narwhal, Beluga Whales are toothed whales which were first described by scientists in 1776. Sometimes referred to as the Belukha Whale, in order to prevent confusion with the Beluga Sturgeon, its name comes from the Russian белый (belyy), meaning “white one”. Female belugas are smaller than their male counterparts, normally weighing between 700 and 1,200 kilograms, while males average 1,100-1,600 kilograms. Calves are born grey and sometimes have a reddish tint, usually completing the transformation to pure white or very light grey by the age of five years. Like most other toothed whales, belugas have large melons on their foreheads; interestingly, they are capable of changing their head shape by blowing air through their sinuses. Capable of submerging for about 20 minutes at a time, Belugas can dive to approximately 2,000 meters, although they tend to feed at depths of 1,000 meters or less; their preferred diet consists of fish, cephalopods, and crustaceans.
With dorsal ridges rather than pronounced dorsal fins, sleek, rounded bodies with pronounced “shoulders” and a neck without fused vertebrae that makes lateral head movement possible, Belugas have a unique shape which is only enhanced by their somewhat square shaped, broad, flat front flippers. The whales have long, elegantly curved tails, which continue to curve as age increases. These tails enable Belugas to swim backwards – something no other whale species is known to be capable of.
Highly sociable animals that sometimes come together in groups of thousands, Belugas normally band together in gender-based pods, with males grouping by the hundreds and with females gathering in smaller numbers. Individuals have a tendency to move from one pod to another, and are capable of traveling hundreds of miles within just a few days. The only close relationship that the animals tend to form is the mother/calf bond. Although calves leave their mothers at about age two, they tend to visit their home estuaries and greet their mothers annually. Very playful, both with one another and with human visitors and handlers, the whales enjoy spitting mouthfuls of water, breaching, and performing underwater acrobatics.
Female Beluga Whales reach sexual maturity at six to nine years, while males mature at an age of four to seven years. The whales have an estimated lifespan of over fifty years.
Diving With Belugas
To dive with Beluga Whales, you’ve got to be prepared for cold temperatures. The whales are primarily found along the coasts of Russia, Greenland, Alaska and Canada; they are sometimes found as far south as the St. Lawrence River. Preferring to follow migrating salmon and other fish, the whales are found in bays, estuaries, and shallow inlets during the summer. Moving into deeper water once ice forms in winter, the Belugas tend to stay close to the edge of the ice pack during cold weather. Sometimes they are trapped in icy areas, falling prey to Orcas, Polar Bears, and human hunters.
One of the best places to dive with Beluga whales is in Russia’s White Sea, where a group of semi-captive white whales are kept in an open water enclosure that allows them to hunt and interact with one another. This conservation project is a joint effort between Utrish Dolphinarium and the Arctic Circle Dive Center; the whales you will meet here are normally in transition between captivity and release back to the wild.
In addition, the site is used as a calving ground and a transitory point for Belugas from areas where habitat loss is prevalent; once the whales have become acclimated, they are released into the White Sea.
Friendly and curious, the whales welcome their human visitors with enthusiasm, sometimes gently opening their mouths to feel a flipper or a camera. The forty teeth each whale has are flat and spaced far apart; to date, no Beluga has ever caused an accident. In fact, one Beluga whale which was part of a Naval operation brought a cold cramped diver to the surface, saving her life.
You can dive with the Belugas at Utrish daily throughout the year, and snorkeling is available for non-divers; even children can enjoy a snorkel with the whales.
In Churchill, which is located in Manitoba, Canada, where the Belugas tend to gather in great numbers during the summer months, you can enjoy close up encounters with them on special whale watching trips that take place during the peak of the calving and feeding season. The belugas eagerly greet boats, often surfacing to get a closer look at their human visitors. Once the boats are in place, snorkelers can join the belugas in the water for an even more exciting experience. Sea North Tours out of Churchill organizes these trips, providing everything from Arctic wetsuits to masks and snorkels.
The same friendliness and curiosity the animals display with tourists has caused some trouble for Beluga whales; they were easy targets for hunters when whaling was big business; and they were the first whale species ever to be kept in captivity. Today, the global population of Beluga whales is near 100,000; admittedly much larger than any other whale population, but much smaller than pre-hunting numbers. Because Belugas tend to congregate in shallow water which is subject to pollution, habitat loss is a constant threat, and sadly, disease is on the rise. Beluga carcasses found in the St. Lawrence River contained such high toxin levels that they were treated as hazardous waste.
As a near threatened species, Beluga Whales have come a long way from their previous position as “vulnerable” on the IUCN’s status list. With careful conservation efforts, it may be possible to bring them back even further from the edge.