Beluga whales grow to be about 4.6 m long on average, weighing up to about 1,500 kg. Males are slightly larger than females.

The beluga’s body is stout and has a small, blunt head with a beak, a well-defined neck and a rounded melon. It has no dorsal fin, which makes swimming under Arctic ice sheets easier.

The beluga is an Arctic and sub-Arctic species and is closely associated with the ice sheet. However, they occasionally wander, venturing southwards out of their distribution range and are sometimes spotted in Icelandic waters.

Belugas are also known as “sea canaries” because of their songs and chatter, which can even be heard above the water.

Beluga whales are very social animals and congregate in pods (social groups) of 2–25 whales, with an average pod size of 10 whales (consisting of both males and females or mothers and calves). A pod will hunt and migrate as a group.