The Beluga Whale
For more information about polar bears and Arctic wildlife, see the new IMAX® film “To The Arctic 3D” opening in select IMAX Theatres starting April 20, 2012. “To The Arctic 3D” is a MacGillivray Freeman Film from Warner Bros. Pictures and IMAX Corporation. Presented by One World One Ocean Foundation.
DID YOU KNOW?
Belugas are white whales that migrate within the region of the Arctic Ocean.
In the summer they migrate north and in the winter they migrate south away from the north pole to avoid getting trapped by forming ice.
Beluga calves are born dark gray and become darker after the first month. Thereafter they gradually become paler and as adults they are completely white.
Belugas have an oil-filled organ on their forehead called a melon that can change shape. This lets them make a wide-range of sounds and change their facial expression.
They sing and chirp so much and so loudly that some people call the beluga the “canary of the sea”!
Check out OWOO’s Blue-Zoo Blog on Beluga Whales!
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