Beluga Whale: Delphinapterus leucas

摘要: Summary The beluga or white whale is a toothed that lives in Arctic and subartic waters. It distinctive for its color, diverse vocal repertoire, close association with sea ice. This highly social cetacean can grow to over 5 m length, has diet, occupies wide range of habitats from shallow estuaries embayments deep glacial fjords open pelagic habitats. Some populations undertake long annual migrations, returning each summer traditional summering grounds where they congregate coastal waters, sometimes the thousands, feed, raise their young, undergo an molt. Once thought be primarily species continental shelf satellite telemetry recently revealed whales much deeper penetrate into dense polar ice up 700 km shore, dive depths 1000 m more, often floor. Native people far north have relied on as subsistence cultural resource, comanagement efforts involving native groups, scientists, other stakeholders are focusing maintenance healthy changing Arctic, including recovery number depleted populations.