Enemies

Food

Birth

Where I Got My Info

Characteristics

Inuit Uses

Habitat

Beluga whales are toothed whales with stout bodies and well defined necks that allow them to turn their heads. They have small heads that have a noticeable bulge or “melon” on them. Theyhave small flippers that are shaped like a short broad paddles. They have a narrow ridged back and a broad tail fluke with a deeply notched center full grown beluga whales con grow up to1500 Kgs. Males can be slightly bigger than females.

The beluga whales is 14 months. The babies are about 1.2mand weigh about 45g when they are born.the calves are a dark gray or brownish-gray at birth and stay that way for about a year. During the second year this colourchanges to a marble blue gray.In the next three years the colour fades because pigmentis lost from the skin and when they are about six years old they reach their creamy white adult colour . They can live to be about 25 30 years old.

Beluga whales live in the far northern coastal waters of Europe,Asia and North America but mainly in the Arctic regions. They are found during different seasons in different habitats.In the winter they live amongst pack ice and in the summer theyjourney to warmer waters like shallow bays and estuaries of large northern rivers likethe St.Lawrence and Mackenzie rivers.Females with young search for calm and shallow warm water where they can find the food they need to eat.

Beluga whales are known to eat about 100 different kinds of prey which are mainlybottom-dwelling animals. These would include octopus,squid,crabs,snails and sand-worms. The kinds of foods they eat are cod,herring smelt,and flounder. Adult beluga whale can eat between 40 to 80 pounds of food a day.

The beluga whale does not have a lot of enemies. The few they have include the polar bear,killer whale and man. The polar bear waits at the surface by the edge ofan ice pack for the beluga to surface for air.The killer whale waits when the belugais snacking then he will attack. Man has been hunting for there hides and oil.

Beluga whales are still today a very useful source of food for the Inuit people and hunting for them is an important part To their culture.the whale oil which comes from the fat,is used for heating,lighting and storing food. The meat of the beluga is used to make a traditional Inuit food called muktuk. The skin is used for dog food.

Http://www.uvm.edu/whale/Beluga Physical.htmlHttp://www.uvm.edu/whale/Beluga Rangettabitat.htmlHttp://www.tenan.vuurwerk.nl/reports/baturyn/beluga whalejessica htmthttp://www.meps. Org/ces/rrrkids/beluga.htmlHttp://www.churchhillmb.net/~cnsc/ab-attrac-beluga.htmlNATURE WATCH-WHALEAND DOLPHINS BOOK