Observations on the birth of a beluga whale ( Delphinapterus leucas ) in the St. Lawrence Estuary, Quebec, Canada

Several white adult beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) were observed to act together with a mother and calf. Underwater sound recordings, group behaviour, and calf appearance and behaviour strongly suggest that the birth had occurred during the observation period. Grey juveniles associated with t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Canadian Journal of Zoology
Main Authors: Béland, Pierre, Faucher, Annick, Corbeil, Patrice
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1990
Subjects:
Animal Science and Zoology
Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Canada
Beluga
Beluga whale
Beluga*
Delphinapterus leucas
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z90-198
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/z90-198
Description
Summary:Several white adult beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) were observed to act together with a mother and calf. Underwater sound recordings, group behaviour, and calf appearance and behaviour strongly suggest that the birth had occurred during the observation period. Grey juveniles associated with the group remained at a distance during the whole event. The birth occurred in July during the presumed peak calving season, in a main channel of the St. Lawrence Estuary, home to an endangered population of belugas.

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