Whales are marine mammals and make up around 30 – 40 species within the cetacean family. Attacks on belugas by killer whales have been reported in the waters of Greenland, Russia, Canada, and Alaska. Beluga are toothed whales, with flexible lips that can produce a range of facial expressions. Beluga, a small, toothed whale found mainly in the coastal waters of the Arctic Ocean and adjacent seas but also in rivers and deep offshore waters. Beluga Whale. It is gray when born, this color fading gradually with age. The Beluga Whale likes to live where it is cold, which is why most are found in the icy waters of the Arctic Ocean. Photo: NOAA Fisheries. The whale is related to the tusked “unicorn” whale known as the narwhal. Whale Habitat And Migration Patterns. The Canadian Waters are home to nearly 150,000 Beluga Whales.

As the habitat of a beluga whale spans the freezing waters of the Arctic, it is totally dependent on its physical and behavioral adaptations for survival. The Canadian Waters are home to nearly 150,000 Beluga Whales. Two areas are designated, comprising 7,800 square kilometers (3,013 square miles) of marine habitat.

View the Cook Inlet beluga whale critical habitat designation. Addressing Ocean Noise. Underwater noise threatens beluga whale populations, interrupting their normal behavior and driving them away from areas important to their survival. View the Cook Inlet beluga critical habitat map. The Conservation Plan acknowledges the possibility of killer whale influence on beluga distribution and identifies the need to assess the impacts of killer whale presence on the beluga whale population but the findings suggest the need to explore the environmental or habitat changes in other portions of the Inlet that may influence killer whale distribution. Beluga Whale Habitat. Most of the Canadian Beluga Whales live in the Arctic but there are also some who have made their home in the St. Lawrence River. Conservation Efforts. Final rule to designate critical habitat for the Cook Inlet beluga whale distinct population segment under the Endangered Species Act.

Belugas are also called white whales, and their unusual color makes them one of the most familiar and easily distinguishable of all the whales. It is small in size and lacks a dorsal fin. The beluga is also called the white whale because of its milky white skin, and is the only whale species that is completely white.

The beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) is a small, toothed whale that is white as an adult. Most of the Canadian Beluga Whales live in the Arctic but there are also some who have made their home in the St. Lawrence River.

Adaptations of a Beluga Whale. With its average speed ranging between 1.9-5.6 mph, the beluga whale is a slow swimmer like most of the other whale species. The Beluga Whale likes to live where it is cold, which is why most are found in the icy waters of the Arctic Ocean. They live in all the seas of the world and share the same habitat as belugas in the sub-Arctic region.

Aerial view of beluga whales in the Chukchi Sea. It is an extremely vocal cetacean and thus has also been referred to as the ‘canary of the sea.’ Belugas grow to a length of about 4 meters (13.1 feet).

Effective May 11, 2 Unlike fresh water dolphins whales live solely in saltwater environments, which is believed to have certain health properties that allow whales to heal from injuries quickly and avoid getting sick.