Beluga Whale (St. Lawrence Estuary population)

Description

The beluga whale, also named white whale, is a marine mammal well adapted to life in cold waters. It has a thick layer of blubber beneath the skin that serves as both an energy reserve and an efficient insulator. A rounded structure on the head, called a melon, is used for orientation and finding preys with echolocation.

Only the adult beluga whale is white; calves are born brown or dark grey and gradually pale to become totally white between six and eight years of age. An adult beluga whale can weigh up to 1,900 kg and grow to a length of 2.6 to 4.5 m.

Beluga whales can live for 75 years or more. Males reach sexual maturity at 12 to 14 years, while females become sexually mature from 8 to 14 years of age. About every three years, females give birth to one calf around July or August, after a gestation period of 14 and a half months.

Habitat

The beluga whale is primarily an arctic species; the St. Lawrence Estuary beluga is at the southernmost limit of the range and is geographically isolated from other populations. Before 1885, there were as many as 10,000 belugas in the St. Lawrence Estuary and Gulf. In the 1980s, when regular monitoring began, the population was estimated to be around 1,000 individuals. A slow decline has been observed since the early 2000s, with a population size estimated at 900 individuals in 2012.

During the summer, the range of St. Lawrence beluga whales extends from Saint-Jean-Port-Joli to Rimouski in the Estuary and to Saint-Fulgence in the Saguenay River. During the winter, they prefer the northwest sector of the St. Lawrence Gulf, where ice cover is less extensive.

Beluga whales travel in groups of 2 to 10 individuals, although much larger groups are occasionally observed. They feed on a variety of fish and invertebrates, using echolocation to find their prey. Belugas are very vocal animals; they can produce a cacophony of high-pitched whistles to low, repeated grunts. These vocalisations are behind their nickname: sea canaries.

Critical habitat of the St. Lawrence beluga

Critical habitat includes the particular features and attributes that support the functions (life-cycle processes) necessary for a species’ survival or recovery. The critical habitat of the St. Lawrence beluga whale is located in the Upper Estuary, from the Battures aux Loups Marins down into the Saguenay River, and in the southern portion of the Lower Estuary. The identified critical habitat of the St. Lawrence beluga whale consists of the summer area of distribution of groups made up of adults and new-born calves and juveniles. The features of the critical habitat support calving, suckling, feeding, rearing of the young, socialization and seasonal migration.

Threats

Commercial whaling has depleted the population severely. Although whaling for belugas has been banned since 1979, there has been no noticeable recovery in the population.

A number of factors seem to contribute to the decline of this species in the St. Lawrence. Among them, pollution, reduced food resources, disturbance by humans and habitat degradation are considered to be the main threats to the recovery of the population. Beluga whales can also be the victim of ship strikes and become entangled in fishing gear.

Further Information

The St. Lawrence Estuary beluga whale population is protected under the Species at Risk Act. A recovery strategy for this beluga whale has been developed by Fisheries and Oceans Canada in collaboration with Parks Canada and several partners. St. Lawrence belugas are the subject of several scientific studies by Fisheries and Oceans Canada to determine the causes of the decline, including research on the impacts of disruption and noise on their behaviour. Surveys are carried out regularly since 1980 to estimate the population size and to increase our knowledge of areas of intensive use.

Awareness initiatives are ongoing through partner organizations with the support of the Saguenay – St. Lawrence Marine Park and the Groupe de recherche et d’éducation sur les mammifères marins (GREMM) and also the Réseau d’observation des mammifères marins (French only) who have been conducting outreach for several years to promote best practices for whale watching. This campaign is targeted at marine wildlife observation tour operators. Additionally, GREMM coordinates the actions of the Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network to implement measures to save animals in trouble in the waters of the St. Lawrence bordering the province of Quebec. You are invited to call 1-877-722-5346 toll free to alert the Network when a marine mammal is in trouble.

Visit the Species at Risk (SARA) Public Registry.

Beluga Whale (St. Lawrence Estuary population)

Scientific name: Delphinapterus leucas
SARA Status: Endangered
COSEWIC Status: Endangered
Region: Quebec

Did You Know?

The St. Lawrence Estuary beluga whale population is the southernmost beluga population. It is a relic of the last glaciation.

Related information

• Beluga Whale (St. Lawrence Estuary population) Summary Report
• Review of the Effectiveness of Recovery Measures for St. Lawrence Estuary Beluga
• Engagement on the science-based whale review - Executive summary
• Engagement on the science-based whale review - Final report
• Recovery Strategy for the Beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) St. Lawrence Estuary Population in Canada 2012
• COSEWIC assessment and status report on the Beluga Whale Delphinapterus leucas, St. Lawrence Estuary population, in Canada 2015
• COSEWIC assessment and update status report on the Beluga Whale Delphinapterus leucas in Canada 2004
• The Beluga Whale: A species in need of your help in Newfoundland and Labrador
• Critical Habitat of the Beluga Whale (Delphinapterus leucas) St. Lawrence Estuary Population Order
• Action Plan to Reduce the Impact of Noise on the Beluga Whale (Delphinapterus leucas) and Other Marine Mammals at Risk in the St. Lawrence Estuary, 2019
• Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat (CSAS) publications