Georgia Aquarium is deeply saddened to announce the loss of its beluga whale calf born Friday evening to 17-year-old Maris, a first-time mother.
“This is an extremely sad day for the Georgia Aquarium family. Over the past few days, our veterinary and animal care teams have been giving around-the-clock care to Maris and her calf,” said Dr. Gregory Bossart, senior vice president and chief veterinary officer. “We initially became concerned when the calf was born and needed assistance from the divers to bring it to the surface to breathe. The calf was significantly underweight and appeared to have a significant number of medical issues. Based on our knowledge of healthy calves, we knew this calf would probably not survive, but our hearts gave us hope that she might be able to pull through. Our primary concern now is the well-being of Maris.”
“From her challenging birth to the difficulties she experienced the days following, it is clear that it is unlikely the calf would have survived as long as she did had it not been for the incredible care our dedicated team provided,” added Bossart.
http://www.georgiaaquariumblog.org/georgia-aquarium-blog/2012/5/23/georgia-aquarium-mourns-lostt.html
At 10:32 p.m. on Friday, May 18, Maris, one of Georgia Aquarium’s resident beluga whales, successfully gave birth to her first calf, a first for Georgia Aquarium as well. Shortly after birth, the calf took its first breath with the assistance of two divers, and then attempted to swim with its mother. The calf showed signs that it was not strong enough to navigate on its own, so Aquarium animal care and veterinary experts made the decision to intervene in order to provide the best care possible for the calf. The calf is under 24-hour care, and Aquarium experts currently list it in critical condition.
http://www.georgiaaquariumblog.org/georgia-aquarium-blog/2012/5/21/beluga-calf-announcement-1.html
Elmo learns the meaning of love from Winston the beluga whale.
Oh my goodness.
My beluga whale piece has been reprinted and is back in my shop! It measures 16 by 11 inches and would make a fabulous gift for the beluga lover in your life. I have more prints of my original works featuring sharks, dolphins and orcas available too. Thank you for the clicks!
Belugas with enrichment make my heart soar.
(Source: thebelugablog)
That blubber is some good stuff.
(Source: cetaceansensation)
Keep Belugas Breathing: New oil drilling being proposed in the Arctic, despite dangers
There is no reliable way to clean up oil in the Arctic, and that spells danger for animals like the beluga whale. An oil spill in the Arctic would create a deadly barrier between air and water, causing belugas and other animals to breathe in toxic fumes instead of fresh air.
It only takes a couple of seconds to sign this online petition to help protect the Arctic - and the charismatic beluga whale - from new proposed drilling. Do it!
It’s official: she’s pregnant!
Our Good Friend, the Beluga
Belugas, more often called beluga whales, have round foreheads called melons. They have short rostrums and are usually completely white. However, beluga calves are born gray and don’t usually turn white until they are about five years old.
They grow up to 20 feet long, and have a small ridge on their backs instead of a dorsal fin. This is because they live in arctic regions and often have to swim underneath sea ice. A dorsal fin would make this rather hard for them. Beluga whales are actually not whales, but dolphins. Belugas tend to live in small pods because they are very social. They make several typical dolphin sounds, like clicks and whistles, but can also imitate other noises.
Belugas are found mostly in the Arctic Ocean and in subarctic waters. Belugas migrate to the south when the sea ice gets too thick in winter. They are the natural prey of polar bears and orcas. Belugas feed on fish and crustaceans mostly, but have also been known to eat worms.
Belugas are of the group Delphinoidea, the largest group of toothed whales, in the family Monodontidae. Dolphins are also of the Delphinoidea group, in the family Delphinidae. Dolphins are whales.
The lack of dorsal fin also helps to reduce heat loss; dorsal fins can aid in thermoregulation in cetaceans.
Belugas are awesome!
Surprise! Belugas are completely awesome!
Recently I was finally able to make a new print order, and while I’m still waiting on half of it, three new ones are available for purchase on etsy. Hooray!
Mariachi band serenades Juno at Mystic Aquarium. The greatest video you will see today.
Mockingnerd posted this on twitter last night and I just needed it on my dash, okay?
The poor dipper doesn’t look too happy, though. Heh.
I absolutely need it on my tumblr, too. Her little noises at 1:30 and 2:20 are adorable.
I offered to work from 8am to 8:30pm tomorrow and I don’t mind at all. It’s one of my favourite places to be and I have some really fantastic coworkers, both human and aquatic, like these two! Being around them all day is amazing(ly fun).
