Belugas at Marineland in Niagara Falls. Photo found on Flickr.

For this summer’s expedition in Saguenay, we take a look at 6 of the 13 whales that are present in the region.

Take a look at this drawing to get an idea of the scale of whales and this chart on how to recognize them from whales-online.net

This whale is one of the reasons why 300,000 visitors flock to the Marine Park every summer.

In fact, the beluga’s precarious numbers in the St. Lawrence is one of the main reasons the Park was created in 1998. The group that returns the mighty river every spring is estimated at 1,000 individuals.

Noteworthy, this group is also the one that ventures the southernmost. Belugas are truly a northern marine species, spending their winters in the Arctic. Scientists have yet to figure out how the mammal finds air when much of the sea has turned into ice. Echolocation? Unsolved mystery!

Very social and curious, belugas hang out in groups and can change friends along the way. Bigger than a dolphin, it is nonetheless one of the smallest whales. Other than its lack of pigmentation, it can turn its head and spit water where it pleases. Watch this video as proof!