Beluga Whale Encounters-Churchill, Canada
As many of you know, we are gearing up for our yearly Florida Springs and Manatee Program……closet thing to a manatee encounter? Perhaps those charismatic Beluga whales of Churchill!
We just had a cancellation on Our Beluga and Polar Bear program July 14-20, 2022 in the stunning sub arctic zone of Churchill, Canada. Just 2 spaces left on our roster: https://bluewaterventures.org/…/belugas-and-bears-of…/
There are times in the eco-adventure industry where naturalist guides head out in search of wildlife encounters. The beauty of the Beluga whale experience is that they seek out interactions with us. While kayaking, we’ve learned to paddle backwaards quickly as the Belugas will often track us from behind. We love it when wildlife finds us equally curious!
From our Zodiacs, we drop hydrophones into the bay listening to the “Canaries of the Sea”. Belugas are known as one of the most vocal marine mammals and belong to the order cetacean which includes baleen and toothed whales such as beluga whales, sperm whales, all dolpins and porpoises.
The eerie clicks, chirps and whistles signal not only communication among the pod, but sounds are used in their hunting strategies as they employ a sophisticated sonar known as echolocation. The ethereal sounds produced by beluga whales are mesmerizing.
During the mid summer months, over 3000 belugas find refuge in the Churchill Estuary where they feed, molt and give birth. While their primary predator, orcas are occasionally seen, the belugas seek refuge in the shallow water that is rich in capelin, a type of smelt that provides much of their diet. Contact Kim Powell at: bluewaterventuressc@gmail.com or check out our international page at www.bluewaterventures.org
