The Dutch coastguard spotted the white beluga whale for the first time at the weekend. Since then, the animal has been monitored by the marine mammal conservation organisation SOS Dolfjin. The staff classify the whale's condition and behaviour as unremarkable. It also does not appear emaciated. There is only a scar on one flank, but this is not a cause for concern.
SOS Dolphin points out that you should not get too close to the animal. The safest way to observe it from the beach without endangering it is with a telephoto lens. The organisation is monitoring the beluga closely in order to decide on further measures if necessary.
Rare guest from the far north
It is extremely rare to see a beluga whale in the North Sea, as these fascinating marine mammals normally live in the cold (sub)Arctic waters of the northern hemisphere. Their main distribution area is mainly in coastal regions around Alaska, Canada, Greenland and Russia.
The last time such a marine mammal was sighted in Dutch waters was in 1984 - at that time off the coast of Zeeland, the province in the south-west of the country. A beluga that many people in Germany were able to observe around 60 years ago also became famous: The animal swam up the Rhine to Bonn and was given the name Moby Dick. The lost whale eventually found its way back into the open sea under its own steam, sometimes escorted by police boats.
The beluga whale is a cold specialist
Thanks to its thick layer of blubber, the beluga is ideally equipped to withstand the extreme cold in its natural habitat: the Arctic and sub-Arctic waters around the Arctic Circle. The animals do not usually appear further south than the north of Norway. Why this beluga has now set course for the North Sea, of all places, remains unclear.
Belugas owe their name to their white colouring, which changes over the course of their lives. Newborns are slate grey to brown, become blue-grey in their first year and only turn white from the age of five, with females often retaining a bluish tinge. Their white colour probably serves as camouflage against polar bears, as they are often found at the pack ice edge. The animals can grow up to seven metres long and live for 30 to 40 years. They are also characterised by a relatively short head with a forward bulge that develops over the course of their lives and contains an organ known as the melon. Unlike most other whale species, the white whale has no dorsal fin.
Sympathetic facial features
The beluga whale can change its facial expression thanks to a series of physiognomic features that serve to communicate. For example, they are able to pull the corners of their mouth up or down, which triggers strong emotional reactions in many people towards these sociable animals. However, this is neither a sign of joy nor of displeasure.
More articles on marine mammals in the North and Baltic Seas
- Flensburg: Young fin whale has been travelling in the fjord for weeks
- Environment: Stray humpback whale off Rügen makes headlines
- Whale visit in Flensburg: Humpback whales stray into the marina
- Dolphins off Kiel: Surprise for young sailors during training
- Skagerrak: Sailors spot orca in the North Sea - "a magical spectacle"
- Natural spectacle: After 23 years - beaked whale spotted in Øresund
