Belugas
Beluga whales are amazing creatures, typically found in the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions of our planet, who generally live together in small groups known as pods. Their language includes a wide range of vocalizations: clicks, whistles, and clanging noises. Belugas are expert imitators of sound, and have even been known to mimic human voices! They play a critical role in balancing their native ecosystems by feeding on the most common marine species in the ecosystem, preventing them from becoming overabundant. While searching for food, belugas can dive to a depth of up to 1,000 feet, but have been known to dive down twice as far as that.
Sadly, belugas’ way of life is under threat. Underwater noise pollution (driven by factors such as offshore drilling, sonar testing, and ship movement) seriously interferes with these animals’ ability to communicate, travel, hunt, and breed. Beluga whales are listed as near threatened on the IUCN Red List, but a specific subspecies called the Cook Inlet beluga is listed as “critically endangered,” with a 50 percent chance of going extinct within the next ten years.
As if this weren’t bad enough, these beautiful animals are often targeted by the marine captivity industry, which forces them to dwell in tiny tanks that can never replicate their wild habitat and perform inane tricks for members of the public. The experience of being torn from their wild habitat takes an enormous toll on the health and wellbeing of belugas. Last year, a White Arctic beluga whale named Nanuq passed away at SeaWorld Orlando after undergoing treatment for a jaw injury. Sadly, unusual injuries, illnesses, and infections – seldom witnessed in wild cetaceans – are rife among captive whales and dolphins.
Sadly, belugas’ way of life is under threat. Underwater noise pollution (driven by factors such as offshore drilling, sonar testing, and ship movement) seriously interferes with these animals’ ability to communicate, travel, hunt, and breed. Beluga whales are listed as near threatened on the IUCN Red List, but a specific subspecies called the Cook Inlet beluga is listed as “critically endangered,” with a 50 percent chance of going extinct within the next ten years.
As if this weren’t bad enough, these beautiful animals are often targeted by the marine captivity industry, which forces them to dwell in tiny tanks that can never replicate their wild habitat and perform inane tricks for members of the public. The experience of being torn from their wild habitat takes an enormous toll on the health and wellbeing of belugas. Last year, a White Arctic beluga whale named Nanuq passed away at SeaWorld Orlando after undergoing treatment for a jaw injury. Sadly, unusual injuries, illnesses, and infections – seldom witnessed in wild cetaceans – are rife among captive whales and dolphins.
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