|
There
are approximately 3000 beluga whales that summer in the Churchill
River estuary. They return here each year to feed, moult, give
birth and rest up for the winter months near northern Hudson Bay.
It is the world's healthiest, most accessible beluga whale population.
The truth and gossip about Churchill's polar bears.
Biology of western Hudson Bay bears, climate change stuff and
polar bear photo gallery. Includes our famous Polar
Bear Attack page!
Tourist's guide to Churchill, Manitoba, Canada includes hotels,
tours, trip planning and some survival tips.
Churchill's monthly newspaper published occasionally. Churchill
news, history, wildlife, poems and the ever popular BayLine Girl.
Inspired by Churchill, Lost City Chronicle is a collection
of remote destinations and travel stories.
Glimpse into the future through the eyes of a gifted Siberian
Husky.
Links to polar bear tours, polar bear sites, churchill links and
stuff that polar bear alley thinks is neat.
---
KNUT FREE ZONE ---
No
Knuts is good Knuts...
|
|
| Beluga
Whales in the Churchill River
|
 The
Beluga Whale (Delphinapterus leucas), also known as the white whale,
is the most numerous of the three species of arctic whales. A relative
of the narwhal's, it has a circumpolar distribution, with a worldwide
population estimated at 50 000-70 000 individuals. |
 Each
summer, as the ice breaks up, these whales travel up major northern
rivers to the warmer, shallow waters to feed and molt. The western
Hudson Bay population is estimated at ~20 000 whales. Churchill
is one of the most accessible places to see them, and hundreds of
people from around the world come here in July and August to see
and hear some of the 3 000 whales summering in the Churchill River
estuary. |
 Characteristics
Belugas are small whales, measuring 3-5m long and weighing 300-500kg.
Females are slightly smaller than males and lack shoulders, giving
them a more streamlined appearance. Cows and calves generally travel
together, as do groups of males. The
beluga has a relatively small head with an enlarged rounded forehead
called the 'melon', which is used to focus or direct sound. Like
the narwhal, the seven vertebrae in the neck of the beluga are
not fused, allowing for considerable head mobility. They are toothed
whales, with nine pairs of teeth in their upper jaw and eight
in the lower. They have flexible lips, which give them their characteristic
smiley face.
|
 Belugas
have no dorsal fin, allowing for better clearance under the sea
ice. They do, however, possess a long dorsal ridge, used to break
through several centimeters of ice to create breathing holes.
Blubber
makes up to 40% of the beluga's body weight, and may be up to
10 cm thick under the skin. It functions as an insulator in the
chilly arctic waters, as well as an energy reserve.
|
 Breathing
Beluga whales are marine mammals, breathing by means of lungs. The
blowhole is a crosswise slit in front of the neck crease through
which they inhale and exhale. They can dive down to 600m or more,
and may remain under water for 25-30 minutes. This is possible as
their muscles, blood, heart, and lungs are well adapted at using
and storing oxygen efficiently. |
 Habits
Belugas travel in pods, congregating by the 100s and even 1000s
in the summer to warm shallow waters, to molt, and feed. In the
winter the formation of the sea ice forces them into deeper and
more open waters.
They
are piscivorous, feeding on fish such as arctic cod and char,
crustaceans, and mollusks. Judging from the numbers of capelin
in the Churchill River, it is safe to assume these are a major
food source for the local beluga population.
|
 Sea
canaries
Belugas are some of the most vocal creatures in the sea. Early whalers
hearing belugas through the hulls of their ships termed them 'sea
canaries'. Sounds produced by the whales vary from high-pitched
whistles and squeals, to ticking and clucking, and chirps.
Beluga
sounds are produced as rapid sequences of clicks in the air passages
of the head. These click 'trains', as they are called, are directed
by the melon, which bulges and collapses, as needed, to focus
sound. As sound bounces off objects in the water at ~1.6km/sec
( four times as fast as through air), the whales are able to use
sonar to echolocate prey and help them navigate under the sea
ice.
Hearing
occurs mainly by bone conduction through the mandible (jaw), to
the middle ear, inner ear, and finally to hearing centers in the
brain. Whales may orient sounds by turning their heads from side
to side.
|
 Reproduction
Females become sexually mature at 4-7years; males at 8-9 years
of age. Mating occurs in the spring/early summer, prior to their
summer migration. The gestation period is 14 months. The female
gives birth to her single young in the water, and may give birth
every 2-3 years. Newborn calves are 1.5-2m long, and stay with
the female for two years. Calves are a gray-brown color, and lighten
over the first 5-6 years of life. This darker phase may be camouflage,
protecting the young from predators.
|
 Predators
Beluga whales are relatively slow swimmers, making them easy prey
for killer whales. Over the winter, when breathing holes are few
and far between, polar bears wait for them to surface along narrow
cracks in the ice, dragging them out of the water with a powerful
jaws. Despite
massive hunting pressure in some areas, the greatest human induced
threat to beluga whales is likely the presence of toxins such
as DDT, PCBs and mercury in the food chain. These toxins accumulate
in the tissues of the whales, and are passed on to the young through
mother's milk.
-
prepared by Carmen Spiech,Hudson Bay Post Churchill Manitoba
|
|
SURVIVAL GUIDE FOR
THE CHURCHILL TOURIST
Watch
Then Click... Do not spend your whole whale watching
tour trying to take pictures of the beluga whales. You
will probably end up with a roll of film of 'white rocks' in
the water. Enjoy these sociable whales and maybe snap
a picture here and there.
Bring
Warm Clothes... Churchill's north wind can change a
day in an instant. Last year, we had a hot, sunny, muggy
day turn into a driving hail storm in a matter of minutes.
You have been warned...
Bug
Spray...'nuff said.
|
| |
|
