Beluga whales are marine mammals known for their extensive vocalizations. With distinctive white bodies and flexible necks, they inhabit the cold waters of the Arctic and sub-Arctic. These social animals rely on sound for survival and interaction. Their diverse sounds have earned them the nickname “canaries of the sea,” enabling them to navigate, find food, and communicate effectively in their underwater habitats.
The Beluga’s Extensive Sound Collection
Beluga whales produce a wide array of sounds. Scientists have documented many types of vocalizations, including whistles, squeals, chirps, clucks, mews, trills, bell-like tones, squawks, moans, groans, buzzes, and roars. These sounds are often complex, combining pulses and whistles.
Belugas use both narrowband frequency-modulated tones, like whistles, and broadband bursts of pulses, referred to as calls. Their social signals range from 200 Hz to 20 kHz. They also create ultrasonic burst pulses, which are clicks above 20 kHz. This diverse vocal repertoire allows for nuanced communication within their pods.
How Belugas Make Their Unique Sounds
Unlike humans, beluga whales do not use vocal cords to produce their sounds. Instead, sound production originates from specialized structures within their nasal passages. Air moves between two air sacs in the blowhole region, creating vibrations that generate sound.
The bulbous organ on their forehead, known as the melon, plays an important role in shaping and directing these sounds. Filled with oil-rich tissue, the melon acts as an acoustic lens that focuses sound waves into a beam. Belugas can change the melon’s shape, allowing them to aim vocalizations with precision. Echolocation clicks are produced by the right phonic lips, while tonal sounds originate from the left.
Why Belugas Rely on Sound
Sound is vital for beluga whales to survive in their arctic environments. They use echolocation, similar to sonar, to navigate and locate objects in dark, murky waters where visibility is limited. By emitting high-frequency clicks and interpreting returning echoes, belugas determine the size, shape, speed, and distance of objects. Echolocation clicks can extend upward of 120 kHz, allowing them to find prey and avoid obstacles.
Communication through sound is also vital for social interaction and group cohesion. Belugas use diverse vocalizations to stay in contact with their pod members, warn of predators, and possibly for mating. Specific calls can indicate foraging activity, while others may signal migration or distress. Their ability to adapt vocalizations, such as increasing frequency in noisy environments, highlights the importance of sound for their daily lives.