Beluga Whale

Dubbed the "canary of the sea" by fishermen, belugas are known for their beautiful songs. Belugas usually live in the Arctic seas, migrating south for the winter. There have been migrating whales found as far from the Arctic as Japan. Sometimes, ice will become so thick that a beluga cannot break it with it's forehead. If the whale cannot get air, it will die from suffocation. The beluga is 16 feet long and weighs about 1000 pounds if not more, and has a protruding, padded forehead with a short snout.

Belugas often live in schools with only about a dozen whales in them. On rare occasions, large schools of thousands have been found. Belugas feed on fish, and will typically hunt in shallow water- making them easy targets for their predators. A beluga has two primary enemies: the killer whale, which is almost ANYTHING'S enemy, and man. Fishermen will hunt the beluga for their fat and skin, which is tough and makes good leather.

A female beluga gets pregnant once a year, for a year. The baby what develops inside her for a year, and then is born tailfirst. As soon as the baby is born, the female gets pregnant again. She does this for five years, and then gives herself a year's rest before birthing again.