Wintering sites can be either north or south of summering sites, and either closer to or farther from shore. One young per birth is the rule for the beluga; females typically give birth every two to three years. We welcome all media inquiries. See & Hear Dozens of Belugas Up CloseMore than 3,000 gentle beluga whales enter the Churchill River each summer—come within arm's reach by Zodiac and kayak, and listen to their songs via hydrophone Search for Polar Bears by Helicopter Look for roving polar bears on a scenic flight over the tundra and taiga forest—the only way to survey this roadless wilderness terrain Beluga young are weaned between one and a half and two years of age. Belugas are usually found in water temperatures below 59°F, but stragglers may wander further afield. Take a Zodiac tour to learn about beluga whales from expert guides. The beluga is one of the most vocal of the toothed whales. Secret life of grave-robbing … For questions concerning individual giving and corporate sponsorships, please contact us at Thousands of beluga whales congregate in the Hudson Bay each summer, and you’ll see and hear hundreds of them both from the air on the flight to and from the … She squeaks out a few chirps — think of a canary — in greeting, an authentic Manitoba hello. Continue reading Polar Bears In addition, the stomachs of belugas have been found to contain bottom-dwelling organisms. Their main predators are killer whales and polar bears. Luckily no one was injured and the bear was escorted out of town unharmed. The polar bear population is predicted to decrease by 30% by 2050. The beluga’s body is stout and has a small, blunt head with a small beak, tiny eyes, and a thick layer of blubber. Beluga whales are very social animals, and most parts of the year, they congregate in social units, or pods, of about 10 individuals led by a single large male. Polar Bears have been known for killing Beluga Whales but Killer Whales are almost twice the average size of Beluga Whale so there is no chance for a Polar Bear to kill a Killer Whale. The beluga is a small toothed whale, weighing between 1,100 and 3,300 fifteen feet in length; males of this species are larger than the females. A baby calf beluga swimming in his mother’s slipstream to stay close. . Researchers now collect information on the social behavior and structure of the pods, wounds, the healing process, threats, and the overall health of the beluga population. The beluga’s body is stout and has a small, blunt head with a small beak, tiny eyes, and a thick layer of blubber. As their prey is aquatic, polar bears are excellent swimmers, and they are even known to kill beluga whales. The pods we will see off of the port of Churchill can number in the hundreds. Once you’ve done the appropriate wetsuit wiggle (or drysuit dance? Gestation lasts about one year. Rigged with above- and underwater cameras, complete with hydrophones, we have the ability to stream live footage of the whales in their natural habitat Not only are viewers able to enjoy these incredible animals interacting with the boat and their surrounding environment, but they have the opportunity to take part in a citizen science project, Beluga Bits, by taking snapshots on the explore.org site. In addition, unlike most other cetaceans, the beluga’s seven neck vertebrae are not fused, giving it a flexible, well-defined neck. It is safe to say the bears are hungry and have a lot of time to kill while they wait. Their feeding dives last anywhere from three to five minutes, although one individual was seen remaining underwater for twenty minutes and diving to a depth of 2,123 feet. It also has a rounded melon on its head, which is thought by some to focus echolocation tones. Alex De Vries – Magnifico photo. Many of the noises made by the beluga are audible to humans. The polar bear uses sea ice as a platform for hunting, traveling, and some reproduction; Arctic seals, like ringed or bearded seals, use sea ice as a platform on which to rest and reproduce. In the spring, as leads form in the pack ice and the ice retreats from the coast, some belugas migrate to relatively warm estuarine waters. ; On the other hand Killer Whales being large in size and efficient hunter of most of the marine animals can easily kill a polar bear in water. It has a large repertoire of clicks, moos, squeaks, trills, and twitters, which can be heard above and below the surface. Spot migrating beluga whales that look like they are from another world, watch polar bears on a specially designed tundra vehicle and capture flowering panoramas of the Arctic tundra. More importantly, there is a much better video of the action that is both more informative and truthful. Churchill has more than one Polar Bear season! info@pbears.org Copyright © 2021 Natural Habitat Adventures, Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | About Us | Contact Us, Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, Hudson Bay Quest 2020 – Churchill to Gillam, Churchill Photo of the Week – Creek Cabin. I feel fortunate that, for two months every summer, my world revolves around the river and the whales, and the Beluga Boat becomes my second home. Beluga up close and personal with snorkelers in the Churchill River. media@pbears.org . The ice-free period now lasts, on average, three weeks longer than it did in the 1980’s! If stranded, it can often survive until the next high tide. Steve Selden photo. It also has a rounded melon on its head, which is thought by some to focus echolocation tones. They reach a blue stage between one and two years of age, and then exist in a lighter yellow phase until they reach sexual maturity, when the white color typical of this species is achieved. These animals may winter on the front of the seasonal ice pack or in polynyas – shifting areas of open water within the ice. What makes the Beluga Boat so unique is our ability to share the whales with thousands of people around the world via live Beluga Cams in partnership with explore.org. It is circumpolar in distribution and lives among the icebergs and floating ice of the Arctic regions. When born, the calves are dark brown or black in color. When the Beluga Bits project started in 2016, the main goal was to find out if the same whales were returning to the estuary every year. An adult beluga will eat about two to three percent of its body weight (about 50 pounds) per day. “Some are still in the breathing hole, but there was about 20 dead belugas on the ice that were killed by the polar bears,” Sanikiluaq hunter Peter Kattuk told a CBC interviewer last Thursday. Adults are pure white in color and newborns are dark grey. And there she is: creamy white, sleek, floating gently toward you, head tilted. Churchill, Manitoba, is known worldwide for its polar bears, but for a brief window every summer, the beluga whales take over—an astonishing scene as they flood into the Churchill River estuary and surround the shorelines of Hudson Bay, their numbers reaching into the thousands. This happened for the first time this summer when a large bear was spotted on someone’s front door step. Belugas are very small, beautiful whales found only in Arctic waters. “The polar bears have calmed down now after landing 19 whales themselves,” Arragutainaq said Feb. 14. For general questions regarding Polar Bears International and our work, please contact us at ), you’ll slip onto a sturdy foam mat floating on the chilly waters at the mouth of the Churchill River, awaiting an up-close-and-personal encounter with a beluga whale. As it grows older, it turns mottled and yellowish, and then a pure white. By Kieran McIver, Churchill Operations Manager. In July, it ascends some of the northern rivers to pursue salmon that are on their way to the spawning grounds. The beluga has one blowhole, does not have a dorsal fin, and its tail is strongly forked. A curious beluga whale swims close to the Beluga Boat for a better look. Hunters had counted 19 beluga carcasses on the ice that had been hauled out and eaten by the polar bears. and my eyes are no longer solely fixed on the water. It is now early August, midway through the beluga season. What makes the Beluga Boat so unique is our ability to share the whales with thousands of people around the world via live. Suit up and stand waist-deep in our beluga habitat alongside our beluga whale trainers. Calves are born with less than an inch of blubber, but they gain weight quickly while nursing on rich milk, ranging from 15 to 40 percent in fat content. If you are a credentialed e-mail us at This is the moment when divers, swimming with beluga whales, were asked to get out of the water. Belugas and Polar Bears By Kieran McIver, Churchill Operations Manager Churchill, Manitoba, is known worldwide for its polar bears, but for a brief window every summer, the beluga whales take over—an astonishing scene as they flood into the Churchill River estuary and surround the shorelines of Hudson Bay, their numbers reaching into the thousands. For the whales, the Churchill estuary serves as a feeding ground, a space to rear their calves as they live out the first few months of their lives, an ideal place for their annual molt, and a sanctuary offering protection in the shallow waters from potential predators. Research member of the media and seek to set up an interview or obtain The most striking characteristic of the beluga whale is its ghost-white coloring. At Polar Bears International we work to inspire people to care about the Arctic. Sign up to receive polar bear news and updates. Your heart rate soars to unimaginabl… Climate Change The brief summer and hundreds of hours spent on the Beluga Boat each year is something I will look forward to as long as I can call Churchill home. The Polar bear leaps from a rock in an attempt to catch a beluga whale (Image: BBC) Read More Related Articles. Live Beluga Cams provide both over- and underwater views of the annual gathering of belugas in the Churchill River estuary. Belugas may also have the most versatile and sophisticated sonar system of any cetacean. Prey distribution and pack ice are two factors in determining seasonal movements. In swimming the polar bear uses only its front limbs, an aquatic adaptation found in no other four-legged mammal. The beluga travels in schools of a few individuals up to the thousands; the large schools, however, are seldom seen today. The beluga whale is one such species. It wasn’t long before the research team, led by Dr. Stephen Peterson, realized there was a lot more we could learn about the belugas through this method of data accumulation. Many fish species, such as herring, cod, and salmon, as well as invertebrates, such as octopus, squid, crab, and snails, are taken. So far, the polar bears have killed mostly “calves from last spring.” In fact, the beluga was nicknamed the ‘sea canary’ by the whalers of old, who could hear its squeaks and cries through the wooden hulls of their boats. fundraising@pbears.org The Beluga whale is a toothed whale without a dorsal fin. It’s safe to say beluga whales and polar bears are a part of my life now, and my only regret is this wasn’t the case sooner. Polar Bears International, Hands-on Arctic Experience: A Churchill Student’s Dream. The mouth where visibility is amazing belugas use echolocation to aid in the search food! 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