At the Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut, Jonathan gets up close and personal with Beluga whales as he learns what its like to train and take care of these thousand pound marine mammals. ********************************************************************** If you like Jonathan Bird's Blue World, don't forget to subscribe! You can join us on Facebook!
This week we learned about Beluga whales, also called white whales, have white skin that is adapted to its habitat in the Arctic. The word "beluga" comes from the Russian word for "white." They aren't the same kind of white whale in "Moby-Dick," however. That was a white sperm whale. They also are not related to the sturgeon of the same name, which is the source of a type of caviar.
Belugas are related to another type of white whale — the "unicorn" whale known as the narwhal. However, instead of a large horn on its forehead, like the narwhal has, the beluga has a round bump called a melon. The melon is used to make many different communication sounds and facial expressions. It also aids in echolocation.