Where are beluga whales found in Canada?
There are seven main populations of belugas in Canada. The most southern group lives in the St. Lawrence estuary in Quebec. The others live around Baffin Island, Hudson Bay and in the Beaufort Sea.
Where do beluga whales migrate in the winter?
Most beluga whales migrate south as the ice pack advances in the autumn. One population summers in the Mackenzie River estuary of Northwest Territories, Canada, and migrates 5,000 km (3,105 mi.) southwest to coastal areas of the Bering Sea in the winter.
Why are beluga whales dying in the St Lawrence River in Canada?
Lawrence. Pollution from industrial activity along the St. Lawrence River and its tributaries, including the Great Lakes, is causing disease, premature death and a declining birth rate among the white beluga whales in the river, according to Canadian researchers.
How many beluga whales are left in Canada 2020?
About Belugas Belugas live primarily in areas with Arctic sea ice, with about two-thirds of the world population (of approximately 136,000 whales) summering in Canadian waters.
What animals eat beluga whales?
Polar bears and killer whales are known predators of belugas throughout their Arctic range.
Why are baby belugas dying?
Carcasses of newborn belugas, meanwhile, showed no signs of injury, infection or tumours, suggesting to researchers that they died of starvation or dehydration because they had been separated from their mothers.
Are there beluga whales in the St Lawrence River?
The beluga whale is primarily an arctic species; the 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.
Where to see a beluga bear in Nunavut?
Guides in the communities of Arviat, Chesterfield Inlet, Rankin Inlet and Whale Cove can take you out to see beluga from land or by boat. But if you really want the absolute best beluga-watching experience, pay a visit to Arctic Watch.
When do beluga whales come to Cunningham Inlet?
Cunningham Inlet (where Arctic Watch is located), is a destination for migrating beluga whales in the summer months. It is a “stop-over and resting point” during their annual migration. It is thought that approximately 2500 – 3000 whales will visit the inlet over the months of July And August annually.
Where do beluga whales go in the winter?
During peak periods, we’ve witnessed as many as 1500 individuals in Cunningham Inlet. The migration path of the whales that visit Cunningham Inlet and Arctic Watch annually. In the winter months, the Cunningham beluga population spends the season between Baffin Island and Greenland in bodies of water that don’t freeze, known as polynyas.
Are there beluga whales in the Bering Strait?
Open water in spring serves as a welcome mat for beluga whales ( Delphinapterus leucas) and bowhead whales ( Balaena mysticetus) that transit the Pacific’s only gateway into the Arctic through the narrow Bering Strait.