Scientific name:
Delphinapterus leucas

Natural spread:
arctic waters

the Beluga or white-whale reaches a length of 3-4,5 m. The biggest known animal measured 5,5 m, with what the male Belugas become 30 cm longer than the females on average. With the age, the skin color exchanges from dark gray until black and blue over sallow sounds to pure white. The reduction of the pigments (Melanin) frequently is consummate already in the age of 4-5 years. White-whales weigh at this time 225-675 kg. they have none back-Finn, the tail-flukes are profoundly bifurcate, and the head shows an easy muzzles and neck-base. In the upper jaw stands on each side 10, in the lower jaw against it 8 teeth.

Way of life White-whales are near relative with Narwalen. Like these, they live in the flatter arctic waters before the coasts of Eurasia and North America and pull up the big streams occasionally far. In hard winters, they sometimes hike as far as into the Baltic sea, to the British islands and to Japan southwards. 1966 Zs. B. a white whale got lost into the Rhine, that was even sighted before Bonn and migrated again presumably into the North sea then. White-whales are very social animals, who live together in more or less large troops. The most solid social unit consists of a mother with 1-3 children. However, also mass-accumulations of several hundred animals occur, who constantly don't stay together, however. The tone-remarks of Belugas are extremely versatilely and also well audible over water. These whales over several hours away retain without difficulties speeds by 9 km per hour and immerse 15 easily minutes-long away.

Belugas look for its food (cancers, Kopffüßer, prefer flat-fish) itself on the grounds of the flat shelf-waters.

Reproduction The combination-time lasts born from April until June, that 1,5-1,6 m long boys become, after a Tragzeit from 14-14,5 months and 20-24 for months suckled. In the first both years, the young whales are able to handle in each case approximately 1 m, after it much slower. They become presumably sexually mature in the age of 5 (female animals) as well as. 8 years. its life expectancy is roughly with 20 years.

Economic meaning The inhabitants of the northern coasts have had white-whales bejagt for a long time since the Blubberschicht protective out of cold can become 10-25 cm thickly and delivers with an adult white-whale up to 300 l oil. Also its meat and the well developed leather-skin let themselves utilize why the hunt for white-whales continues also in the industry-age what endangers the reduced continuances seriously. The total-continuance is estimated at 50 000-70 000 animals.