Unique Features of the Beluga Whale
Apart from its striking white appearance, the beluga whale has a distinctive feature that sets it apart from other whales: the rounded forehead known as the melon. This protruding part is not just a lump of flesh; it is a powerful super organ. The beluga can control its shape to modify the sounds it produces, facilitating communication.
According to IFLScience, like dolphins and orcas, belugas belong to the cetacean family and share familiar traits such as a large tail fluke, flippers, and a blowhole. What truly stands out, however, is the massive bulge on their heads. Jaclyn Aubin, a doctoral candidate at the University of Windsor studying belugas, explained that the melon is not simply a mass of fat. It is made up of several types of tissues, including muscle, connective tissue, and fats with varying densities and acoustic properties.
These fats play a crucial role in sound communication and echolocation by focusing and projecting the sounds the belugas emit. Several facial muscles and connective tissues alter the shape of the melon, enabling the beluga to adjust the way it produces sounds, possibly to create more focused and directional noises.
A short video recorded in front of an aquarium shows a beluga manipulating its melon while communicating with a companion. Besides sound modulation, changing the shape of the melon may have other functions. Aubin noted that although reshaping the melon affects their calls, belugas might also use these changes as visual signals to other whales.
Observations indicate that particularly lively male belugas significantly expand their melon, suggesting that the shape can convey clues about their emotional and behavioral state to others. This adds another layer of complexity to beluga communication.
Scientists have previously discovered that belugas use "infant-directed speech" when talking to calves and employ vocalizations to guide their groups, which is especially useful when calves begin to explore. Aubin said, "Beluga vocalizations are incredibly complex. We still have not fully identified all the types of calls they make, let alone understand the function of most of them. One well-understood call is the contact call, which belugas use to maintain group cohesion. Mothers and calves also use this call to stay close to each other."
The Beluga Whale: A Unique Arctic Marine Mammal
According to National Geographic magazine, beluga whales are born with gray or even brown coloring, which gradually fades to white as they reach sexual maturity around the age of five. This distinctive coloration makes them one of the most common and easily recognizable species among all whales.
Compared to other whale species, belugas are smaller, with body lengths ranging from approximately 13 to 20 feet (4 to 6 meters). Their foreheads are rounded, and they lack a dorsal fin. Belugas are social animals, typically living in small groups.
They are highly skilled at vocal communication, producing a wide variety of sounds, including whistles, and are capable of mimicking many other noises. Their diet consists mainly of fish, crustaceans, and worms.
These whales are commonly found in coastal waters of the Arctic Ocean and are also seen in sub-Arctic regions.
