Taxonomy

Delphinapterus leucas | White Whale

Distribution

Status

Conservation status


HABITATS DIRECTIVE ARTICLE 17 REPORTING*
RangeUnknown
PopulationUnknown
HabitatUnknown
Future ProspectsUnknown
Overall  Assessment of Conservation StatusUnknown
Overall Trend in Conservation StatusN / A

*No live records for this vagrant species were obtained for Irish waters during the Article 17 reporting period 2007-2012.There have been no recorded live sightings of the species in Irish waters since the Habitats Directive came into force.

Source: NPWS 2013.




IUCN Conservation Status

Ireland
Not Evaluated*
Europe (1)Not Applicable**
Global (2)Near Threatened

* There is currently no Irish Red List for Marine Mammals.

Sources: (1) European Mammal Assessment Team 2007; (2) Jefferson, T.A. et al 2012.

** For regional assessments under IUCN Regional Red List Guidelines the category Not Applicable may be used for species that occur in the region but at very low numbers or as vagrant species, amongst other reasons.

Source: IUCN 2012.

Legal status

Protected by the following legal instruments:

  • Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC)  Annex IV
  • Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (Bern Convention) Appendix III
  • Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (Bonn Convention) Appendix II
  • Convention on Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendix II
  • Council Regulation (EC) No. 812/2004
  • Wildlife Act (1976)
  • Wildlife (Amendment) Act (2000)
  • Whale Fisheries Act 1937

Native status

The 2012 IUCN Global Red List assessment account for this species lists Ireland as one of the countries where it is considered a vagrant. Delphinapterus leucas is considered a vagrant in Irish waters for the purposes of Habitats Directive reporting. There have been no recorded live sightings of the species in Irish waters since the Habitats Directive came into force.

Sources: NPWS 2013; Jefferson, T.A. et al 2012.

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Species Biology

Identification

  • Max. adult length: 5m
  • Max. adult weight: 1500 kg.
  • Average adult length: 4m
  • Average adult weight: 1000 kg
  • Average length of calf at birth: 1.5m
  • Average weight of calf at birth: 80 kg
  • Blow: Inconspicuous, low and steamy, but may be heard at a range of several hundred metres on calm days.
  • Head: The head is relatively small compared to the body and is bulbous in shape with a small short beak. The melon is rounded and can change shape and resonate during sound production. The mouth line is broad and there is a distinct well-defined crease behind the blow- hole. The Beluga, or White, Whale appears to create a variety of facial shapes or expressions by altering the shape of its forehead and lips. This can result in an apparent smile, frown, or whistle, and may be related to the production of sound or may be a form of communication. Belugas have a stocky body, with a distinct neck that displays a considerable degree of flexibility due to its neck vertebrae not being fused.
  • Dorsal Fin: As is common among cetaceans living among the pack ice, they have no dorsal fin. Instead, a narrow ridge extends for about 50cm and may consist of a series of dark bumps. This dorsal ridge is often marked with a series of nicks, cuts and scrapes from both abrasion on the sea ice and from Polar Bear attacks. The body of a well-fed Beluga has a lumpy appearance, with folds of fat along the sides of the body; thick blubber protects them from the extreme cold.
  • Pectoral Fins: The pectoral fins are short, broad and spade-like. They curve upwards in male Beluga, becoming more pronounced with age.
  • Colouration: Beluga Whales are born with a dark slate grey body, which may have a pinkish tinge. As they age they become whiter with a blue tinge, before eventually becoming pure white once sexually mature at 5 to 10 years of age. The flukes also change shape having a straighter trailing edge in newborns, becoming more convex as a juvenile and adult with a distinct notch in the centre and a dark brown trailing edge.
  • Markings: Identification of individual Belugas is possible using a combination of naturally occurring features such as colouration and pigmentation that varies among individuals, as well as scars caused by abrasion and cuts from the ice and from polar bear attacks, 
  • The Beluga Whale is normally a slow swimmer, spending much time at the surface and moving in an undulating motion. The dive sequence typically consists of 5-6 shallow dives in a minute, followed by a deeper dive lasting about a minute.

  • The Beluga Whale is unlikely to be confused with any other species in Irish waters due to it's white colouration, however some adult Risso's Dolphin (Grampus griseus) may appear almost white.

Source: Irish Whale and Dolphin Group.

Habitat

Most populations are seasonal migrants and may occur in a variety of marine and brackish environments. Usually associated with areas of ocean near sea ice. The species has been recorded from estuaries, over continental shelf slopes, deep ocean basins and shallow coastal waters in the high latitudes of the north Atlantic.

Sources: Harris S.,Yalden D.W. 2008; Jefferson, T.A. et al 2012.

Habitat includes ;

  • Marine water body (M)

Sources: Harris S.,Yalden D.W., 2008; Fossitt, J.A., 2001.

Reproduction

  • Mating :    April - May.
  • Calving: July-August.
  • Gestation: Approximately 14-15 months.
  • Max. life expectancy: 40 years.
  • Average life expectancy: 20 -25 years.
Beluga whales produce a calf every three years, and this calf is weaned after 20 - 24 months.

Source: Irish Whale and Dolphin Group.


Threats faced

In the Article 17 Habitats Directive reporting for the period 2007-2012 no Threats were listed for this species.

Source: NPWS 2013.


Conservation actions

In the Article 17 Habitats Directive reporting for the period 2007-2012 no Conservation Measures in place or being implemented during the period were listed for this species.

Source: NPWS 2013.

As this species is only rarely recorded in European waters, there are no Conservation Actions listed in the 2007 European Regional IUCN Red List Assessment for this species that are applicable to Irish waters

Source: IUCN SSC Cetacean Specialist Group 2007.

Distribution

World distribution(GBIF)

Circum-polar at high latitudes in the North Atlantic. Records at lower latitudes have been made e.g. Cork in the south of Ireland.

Source: Harris S.,Yalden D.W. 2008

Accuracy of world distribution shown in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) map below will be constrained by, amongst other factors, data held but not shared by countries and organizations not participating in the GBIF.


Irish distribution

The Beluga Whale is a very rare visitor to Irish waters. There are no records of strandings to 2015 and only two authenticated sightings in the 20th century – one off Clare Island, Co. Mayo in 1948 and the other in Cork Harbour in 1987. Both were of single animals.

Source: Irish Whale and Dolphin Group.


Temporal change

Records submitted to Data Centre in 2024

The following map is interactive. If you would prefer to view it full screen then click here.

How can you help

The National Biodiversity Data Centre is trying to improve our knowledge on the distribution of the Beluga Whale in Ireland. Should you observe this species, please submit sightings to add to the database. Detailed observations will assist us gaining a better insight into where the species is most abundant in Ireland and we might also be able to detect regional variations. Please submit any sightings and photographs at:

http://records.biodiversityireland.ie/index.php

All records submitted online can be viewed on Google Maps – once checked and validated these will be added to the database and made available for conservation and research.

Further information

For further information contact Dr. Liam Lysaght llysaght@biodiversityireland.ie

References

Publications

DEHLG 2009 Conservation Plan for Cetaceans in Irish waters.

Fossitt, J.A. (2001) A Guide to Habitats in Ireland. The Heritage Council

Harris S., Yalden D.W. (2008). Mammals of the British Isles :Handbook, 4th Edition. The Mammal Society.

IUCN. (2012). Guidelines for Application of IUCN Red List Criteria at Regional and National Levels: Version 4.0. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: IUCN. iii + 41p

Species account by IUCN SSC Cetacean Specialist Group; regional assessment by European Mammal Assessment team 2007. Delphinapterus leucas. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 17 October 2014

Jefferson, T.A., Karkzmarski, L., Laidre, K., O’Corry-Crowe, G., Reeves, R., Rojas-Bracho, L., Secchi, E., Slooten, E., Smith, B.D., Wang, J.Y. & Zhou, K. 2012. Delphinapterus leucas. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 17 October 2014.

NPWS (2013) The Status of EU Protected Habitats and Species in Ireland.  Species Assessments Volume 3. Version 1.0. Unpublished Report, National Parks & Wildlife Services. Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Dublin, Ireland.

NPWS (2013a) Delivery Schedule for Actions listed in the Conservation Plan for Cetaceans in Irish waters – June 2013

Wall, D., Murray, C., O’Brien, J., Kavanagh, L., Wilson, C., Ryan, C., Glanville, B., Williams, D., Enlander, I., O’Connor, I., McGrath, D., Whooley, P. & Berrow, S. (2013). Atlas of the Distribution and Relative Abundance of Marine Mammals in Irish Offshore Waters: 2005 – 2011. Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, Kilrush, Co. Clare.






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