A Secluded Beluga Whale Estuary
In A Secluded Beluga Whale Estuary, narrator Sir David Attenborough follows a herd of beluga whales as they swim into a secluded estuary that is only available during summer when the ice has melted. The whales are there to use the shallow water and rocky bottom to clean their skin. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Frozen Planet, a series that shows a fragile world of beauty and hostility, where nature finds a way to survive and thrive in frigid conditions.
Lesson Express
Q: How do baby beluga whales make the trip to the Canadian Arctic? Why do they travel this way?
A: Beluga calves travel “piggy back” with their mothers. They travel this way because it is easier, as they are pulled along by their mothers' slipstream.
Q: Why do the belugas come to this specific location?
A: They come for personal hygiene, because they can use the rocks to help remove dead skin.
Q: What makes the water in this Canadian estuary perfect for the beluga whales’ “spa treatment”?
A: The water is warmer and less salty, which softens their skin and makes the scrub more effective. It is isolated and safe from predators.
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