Species - Beluga Whale
The Beluga, or White Whale (Delphinapterus leucas) makes
its home in the cold waters of the Arctic Ocean and adjoining seas, such as
the Sea of Okhotsk, Hudson Bay, and the Bering Sea.
Beluga males average 14 ft. in length and weigh approximately 1,400 lbs.
at maturity. Females usually reach 13 ft. and weigh considerably less--
about 900 lbs. Calves are about 4 ft. at birth, weighing in at about 100
lbs.
Belugas are not born white. Calves are gray for the first year,
with pigment leaving the skin after about 6 years. Even then,
there may be small pigment traces on the edges of the flippers and
tail flukes. These whales have a total of 32 to 40 small teeth and have
no dorsal fin. However, they do have a remarkable abilility to make sounds,
which lead some early mariners to call Belugas "sea canaries".
Copyright Whales, LLC 1996.