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Beluga Whales in Alaska Several of the following are PDF files which require free Adobe Acrobat Reader software to view, navigate and print. Adobe also offers free tools for the visually disabled. Beluga whales in the Beaufort Sea. Photo: NOAA Fisheries, National Marine Mammal Laboratory Alaska Beluga Whales Bering Sea belugas (Eastern Chukchi Sea, Beaufort Sea, Eastern Bering Sea, Bristol Bay) and Cook Inlet belugas Co-Management Agreements Stock Assessments Permits and Applications for Incidental Take Authorizations Research Cook Inlet Beluga Whales Management and Recovery    - Subsistence Harvest Draft SEIS    - Proposed ESA Listing Updated! Development Projects of Concern Federal Regulations and Notices Species of Concern Stock Status Updated! Proposed Restricted Harvest Area Research Additional Information Enforcement REWARD Brochure National Marine Mammal Laboratory At birth, beluga whales are dark blue-gray in color, measure 3-5 feet long, and weigh 90-130 lbs. The color gradually lightens, usually turning white by age 5 or 6. Beluga whales grow to an average length of 15 ft. and can weigh more than 3,000 lbs. Generally, males are larger in size than females. Belugas are robust-bodied and have a blubber layer which can be as much as 5 inches thick. They are muscular creatures with a small rounded head, a short beak, and are quite mobile in comparison to other whales. The belugas have a narrow ridge that runs down the rear of their backs, which allows them to swim freely under floating ice. Also, the beluga is the only whale that can bend its neck. This helps them to maneuver easily and catch prey, using their 34 to 40 teeth, not for chewing, but for grabbing and tearing their prey, which is then swallowed whole. Belugas use sound to find their prey. They also use sound to communicate and navigate by producing a variety of clicks, chirps and whistles.   More >>>