Oh Whale..
..isn't Christmas a bit over-whale-ming? I guess I might have looked up whale puns. I mean who doesn't like whale puns. So I suppose you're whale-come. Ok, I know that's enough lets continue to the subject at hand today!
And that is whales! Can you believe it. But it is not any kind of whale, it's the adorable beluga whale. To be honest I thought they were a part of the dolphin family as they are a little similar but I might be partial as I absolutely adore dolphins. However they're not, they are one out of two members in the Monodontidae family (whales). Where the second member is the Narwhal who are also fantastic creatures but today it's the Belugas time to shine.
With their white skin to protect them against predators they're one of the most recognisable whales but also one of the most expressive ones too! This is partly to do with these fascinating facts;
Both of those facts makes for good photos like this.
These Belugas are not only visually telling but also very vocal. They even go by the name "the canaries of the seas" because of their wide range of varied sounds. Not to speak about their impersonator skills, one Beluga has been recorded copying sounds from a human. Click here to hear it.
Because of everything I've just described they're sadly also popular for showbiz. They're the most common whale in captivity in North America, Europe and Asia. But good news is that they're building the first ever sanctuary for whales on an island south of Iceland called Heimaey. This is a project by Sea Life Trust who are working together with Whale and Dolphin Conservation Charity to not only create this sanctuary but also move these two beluga whales (in the video below) there from Shanghai. I for one will definitively be following this project and really cross my fingers that all goes well for Little Grey and Little White! Just watch the video and you will too!
And that is whales! Can you believe it. But it is not any kind of whale, it's the adorable beluga whale. To be honest I thought they were a part of the dolphin family as they are a little similar but I might be partial as I absolutely adore dolphins. However they're not, they are one out of two members in the Monodontidae family (whales). Where the second member is the Narwhal who are also fantastic creatures but today it's the Belugas time to shine.
With their white skin to protect them against predators they're one of the most recognisable whales but also one of the most expressive ones too! This is partly to do with these fascinating facts;
- Their neck vertebrae is not fused like other whales which means that the Beluga can move their head side to side and up and down.
- The shape of their head can also be changed by blowing air around their sinuses.
Both of those facts makes for good photos like this.
Link to the picture is found here. Photo by Steve Snoddgrass.
Because of everything I've just described they're sadly also popular for showbiz. They're the most common whale in captivity in North America, Europe and Asia. But good news is that they're building the first ever sanctuary for whales on an island south of Iceland called Heimaey. This is a project by Sea Life Trust who are working together with Whale and Dolphin Conservation Charity to not only create this sanctuary but also move these two beluga whales (in the video below) there from Shanghai. I for one will definitively be following this project and really cross my fingers that all goes well for Little Grey and Little White! Just watch the video and you will too!
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