Somerset Island - Main Migration Route for Beluga Whales (00020347)
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Description: Beluga whale/Delphinapterus leucas. Beluga whales in the Arctic Ocean. Located at Cunningham Inlet on Somerset Island, one of the main migration routes for Beluga whales. Every year in July and August, thousands of Beluga whales gather here. A breathtaking sight, especially from the air. These white whales can grow up to six meters in length and weigh up to 1,000 kilograms. They have a bluish-white to creamy-white coloration and no dorsal fin. Young calves are often brown, grey, or bluish. Due to their vocalizations, sailors used to call them the 'canaries of the sea'. Today, more whales and dolphins die in fishing nets as bycatch than ever were killed by commercial whaling.
Location: Northwest Territories, Somerset Island, Canada
Date of Capture: 20.07.1996