The beluga whale is a large marine mammal which belongs to the species of toothed whale in the white whales’ family. They are also called polar dolphins. They have no gills, breathe through their lungs and therefore surface every 10–15 minutes to take a breath.

Male beluga whales can reach a length of six meters and weigh two tons. They live in the cold seas of the Arctic Ocean. Beluga whales are very kind and intelligent animals, so they are often kept in dolphinariums and aquariums.

Beluga whales are born light brown, then gradually lighten and become bright white by the age of three to five years. They can live up to 40 years. Beluga whales are social animals, they are able to communicate and interact with each other. Researchers have registered about 50 sound signals produced by beluga whales: roaring, whistling, screeching, squealing, croaking, chirping, and piercing scream.

The beluga whale is considered the most talkative whale, it is called the “sea canary”. It has a small head with a distinctive protruding forehead, like that of a dolphin, but no rostrum. Its cervical vertebrae are not fused together, so unlike other whales, they can rotate their heads. In addition, beluga whales can swim on their back and backward, as well as change the expression of their face.

Beluga whales have small pectoral flippers and no dorsal ones; this allows the animal to move freely under the ice. Its skin is very strong, about two centimeters thick. The subcutaneous fat is up to 15 centimeters — it protects the “polar dolphin” from the cold.

Beluga whales feed on stocked fish: capelin, cod, polar cod, herring, saffron cod, flounder, whitefish and salmonids; rarely their diet includes crustaceans and cephalopods. They do not grab their prey but suck it up. Each day an adult consumes 15 kilograms of food.

The main natural enemies of the beluga whale are orcas and polar bears. Humans are no less dangerous for this mammal: the animals are hunted for their fat and skin, with their habitat contaminated by toxic industrial waste. The most damage to the beluga population is caused by the development of oil fields and construction of hydroelectric power plants. Beluga whales are on the endangered species list; as of 2022 their population was about 100 thousand.