What information do you have on white whales?

Beluga whale is a kind of whale, also known as Beruka whale, sea canary, etc., is a marine mammal of the beluga whale family, likes to live on or close to the sea surface, and has a strong diving ability. It is very adaptable to the floating ice environment in the Arctic. The vast majority of beluga whales in the world live in the waters north of Europe, Alaska and Canada. Let's take a look at the data of beluga whales.

Morphological characteristics of beluga whale

The beluga whale's forehead is protruding and smooth, the beak is short, the lip line is broad, and the body color is very light, which is a unique white. The only obvious difference from other whales is that it can be exuviated when the skin is yellowish in summer. The mature beluga whale's whole body will show a unique white, the head is proportionally small, there are clear folds behind the vents, there are often scars on the body surface, and there may also be folds and fat folds, and the dorsal spine replaces the dorsal fin. located in the upper middle and rear position, the posterior edge of the caudal fin may be dark brown, the central defect is obvious, and the external process of the caudal lobe becomes more and more obvious with age. The neck can move freely, nod and turn the head, the pectoral fin is broad and scraper-shaped, the movement is free, the lip line is wide, and the male pectoral fin is bent up, which becomes more and more obvious with age.

The social habits of beluga whales

Beluga whales are social animals, hundreds of beluga whales will form groups, and the composition of the whales is still uncertain. Age and sex seem to play a leading role in the group. When the beluga whales enter the estuarine migration destination, they are very excited. Although they have made a long migration, they do not seem to feel tired at all. In addition to constantly "communicating" with different singing voices, they also swim in the water with their own broad tail leaves. Put the body half out of the water, the posture is very beautiful.

The migratory habits of beluga whales

Every July, thousands of beluga whales set out from the Arctic to begin their summer migration, ranging from a few to tens of thousands, swimming to their destination and performing leisurely along the way. Most of the migration destinations are concentrated at northern latitudes, but some naughty beluga whales seem to have a tendency to roam independently, sometimes going south alone, swimming hundreds of kilometers, showing their dignity in the mouth of the Heilongjiang River, the Foss Estuary in Scotland, or the Rhine River. Give people a pleasant surprise.

Feeding habits of beluga whales

Beluga whales eat a variety of prey, including cucumber, flounder, juniper, salmon and cod, as well as invertebrates such as crabs, shrimp, clams, worms, octopus, squid and other marine benthos. Because they do not have too many sharp teeth to bite their prey, they usually inhale the food whole into their mouths, so the prey should not be too large, otherwise they may choke.

Biological natural enemies of beluga whales

The known natural enemies are orcas and polar bears, which attack beluga whales by attacking seals, usually waiting around the vents of beluga whales trapped in the ice, giving them a heavy blow with their powerful front palms, and then dragging them to the ice to eat. When orcas arrive around August, beluga whales can usually recognize their voices, and their protruding flippers hinder their flexible movement in the ice, so orcas attack beluga differently.

The breeding habits of beluga whales

The male beluga whale is 7-9 years old, the female whale matures 4-7 years, and the reproductive interval is 2-3 years. The female whale stops giving birth in his early twenties. The breeding season is usually from the end of February to the beginning of April, and the pregnancy lasts for 14 months. However, there may be delayed implantation of embryos. The calf is born in the summer from May to July, and the newborn whale is dark gray all over. When the female whale gives birth, there is a guard whale group patrolling around. After the delivery, the main force of the whale group is evacuated, leaving only the young female whale. The nursery is usually chosen at a water temperature of about 10 ℃, near the river, which is very important for the calf, because they do not have as much warm blubber as the adult whale. The calf is protected between two adult females, and the beluga whale is lactated for 1.5 years.