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In the movie Finding Dory, there appears to be a character named Bailey the Beluga whale. Finally, one of my favorite animals is getting a little press-time. I've been fascinated by them since childhood, in other words a dang long time. They almost look extraterrestrial, or carved of alabaster. And they blow bubbles, and seem to have a perpetual smile.
"They're an evolutionary surprise - a warm-blooded mammal in a numbingly cold sea. Resembling curious ghosts, these intelligent mammals use one of the most complex sonars of any animal.
Jean-Michel Cousteau
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The beluga whale gets its name from the Russian word for "white ones", its color and globular head make it easily recognizable. They are born dark gray, however, and can take up to eight years to turn completely white.
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The beluga is closely related to the narwhal; and they are the only two members of the Monodontidae family.
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Belugas are one of only three whales that spend all their lives in arctic waters. The other two are the Bowhead--a baleen whale,
and the Narwhal, a toothed whale like the beluga.
Yikes, where'd that sweet smile go.....
Threats to beluga whales include climate change, hunting, oil and gas development, and industrial and urban pollution. Polar bears and killer whales are known predators of belugas throughout their Arctic range.
Bye for now......
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