Beluga Whales (Delphinapterus leucas), North of Thule, North-West Greenland

Description

Belugas are gregarious and they form groups of up to 10 animals on average, although during the summer months, they can gather in the hundreds or even thousands in estuaries and shallow coastal areas. They are slow swimmers, but they can dive down to 700 m below the surface. They are opportunistic feeders and their diets vary according to their locations and the season. They mainly eat fish, crustaceans and other deep-sea invertebrates. The majority of belugas live in the Arctic as well as the seas and coasts around North America, Russia and Greenland; their worldwide population is thought to number around 150,000 whales.