No other whales quite capture the attention of people than the Belugas even with more than 80 species of cetaceans existing in the sea. In this article of The Article Heaven lets explore these beautiful social mammals that can be easily spotted in the Arctic region and distinguished from the rest of the animals by their small stature and their pure white colour.
What are the Beluga whales?
Whales, more specifically, the Delphinapterus leucas, are popular marine mammals who marvel a child with their looks and behaviour. Belugas are known as medium-sized whales with teeth that are part of the family Monodontidae of the order cetaceans. They are easily recognisable by their pure white color and their smiley faces.
The word Beluga is well represented by its etymology from Russian word Belukha which means white. Delphinapterus leucas make melon-like mounds on their foreheads, and girdled with a flexible neck that allows poles to be spinned heads turn in all direction, they are irresistibly cute.
Why Are The Beluga Whales Referred To As The Canaries Of The Sea?
These amazing creatures, the beluga whales, are found in the region of the frigid Arctic and sub-Arctic oceans. They are called The Canary Of The Sea because:
1. Powerful Vocal Presence
This is mainly due to their singing abilities that Beluga whales are also popularly known as the canaries of the ocean. That’s true, they are one of the most vocal species in the animal kingdom, making a wide range of sounds. In general belugas are capable of producing up to 50 sounds, which include knocking, whistling, and loud yelling. All these sounds are used in their day to day activities hence the variation is not merely decorative.
2. Node Theory
As typified by social species, beluga whales tend to swim in pods or groups. Depending on the circumstance, these pods could range from a few individuals to a few hundred. Sounds are also critical in maintaining the social organization and complexity of the Belugas. Sounds are also used by Belugas to express feelings, create social bonds and organize activities like hunting together and migration.
3. Belugas produce sound bubbles too while communicating
Other types of sound bubbles are thought to be more effective when Belugas play producing different shaped and sized bubbles for fun out of their blowholes. While similarly produced bubble patterns from two interacting whales are seen as a form of bonding, random bubble bursts are seen as a sign of aggression.
4. Biodiversity and Efficient Intercourse
Belugas prefer regions inhabited by sea ice and cold boreal water bodies. They may be heard even under many ice blocks, meaning they vocalise underwater, This is crucial for their existence. In summertime, belugas become gregarious and vocal due to the increased availability of food. Their singing patterns however may be altered as they acclimatize to the cold winter seasons.
5. Belugas can imitate human voices.
Beluga whales held in human care have been documented to have imitated the speech of their human handlers. One of the earliest records of cetacean vocal imitation was a whale named NOC, who spent approximately 30 years at the National Marine Mammal Foundation in San Diego, California.
6. The Issues with Conservation
As fascinating animals as any other, beluga whales are few in number due to a number of factors. Their food sources are changing along with the climatic shifts where they are melting more ice and changing areas. Their full existence is threatened by contamination, vessels, and fisheries too. Environmental changes might also impact Beluga’s hierarchies and interactions.
There’s a lot to be done in terms of conservation with regards to these amazing species of whales. Researchers are able to monitor population health trends and climatic changes by studying their patterns of speech. Understanding the different aspects of beluga communication helps in the identification of effective measures aimed at conserving their environment.
Where to find the Beluga Whales?
Beluga scuba tours have no equal offers even for the staunchest fans of underwater experiences in the polar and sub polar regions. The North Russian Arctic and Canada’s Churchill region are famous for the large beluga pods that frequent these areas. One can mingle with these astonishing creatures in the wilds and dive with them at these places, quite literally leaving the once in a lifetime experience.