Mobidick is a cetacean that lives in Arctic waters. It is white all over and mild in nature. The existing number is about 654.38+million, which is very rare. Moby Dick, another novel of the same name, is the work of herman melville, a famous American novelist in the19th century. Published in 185 1, adapted and filmed many times.
Introduction of Moby Dick
Size: The adult beluga whale is about 3 to 5 meters long and weighs about 0.4 to 1.5 tons. The calf is about 1.5 to 1.6 meters long. Weighing about 80 kilograms. The white whale has a small head, a prominent and smooth forehead, a short beak and a wide lip. The color of the car body is very light, which is a unique white. Swimming is usually slow. Moby Dick (4 photos)
distribution range
Beluga whales are generally distributed around the North Pole, mainly between 50 degrees and 80 degrees north latitude. The beluga whale has a high appetite and returns to the place where the mother whale was born every year, especially the mother whale. In autumn, beluga whales will stay away from bays and estuaries because of the expansion of ice floes, and in winter, they will form large groups mainly on the edge of ice or on the open sea with only a small amount of ice floes. They can swim freely in estuaries that are easy to run aground, or in trenches in middle and deep waters, and it is estimated that they can dive to a depth of 8 15 meters. Moby dick can imitate many sounds and is the best ventriloquism expert in the cetacean kingdom. They can make hundreds of sounds, such as the cries of wild animals, the bleating of sheep, the screams of birds, the screams of women, the groans of patients and the cries of babies ... It's really a variety of wonders. Moby Dick can also make hinges, bells, whistles and so on.
External physical characteristics
The central cross section of the beluga whale's body is roughly circular, and it gradually tapers to both ends. When they feed, their trunks are particularly fat and round. The head of the beluga whale is very different from that of other cetaceans, and its forehead is extremely protruding and protruding. A scholar once described it as "a balloon full of warm grease". Beluga whales can freely change the shape of the frontalis muscle, probably by moving the air in the internal sinus. Because their cervical vertebrae heal less than other cetaceans, they can turn their heads or nod in a wider range. The mouth is short and wide, unlike many dolphins, which have prominent beaks, and the mouth can wrinkle. The abdomen and sides are uneven and full of fat. There is no dorsal fin, but there is a narrow dorsal protuberance at the position of dorsal fin. The pectoral fin is wide, and the tip of the pectoral fin of a large male whale is upturned. The caudal fin will become gorgeous with age, and the tail edge of adult male whales has a convex mirror-like protrusion. There are eight to nine nail-like teeth in the upper and lower jaws, but the elderly sometimes wear out and disappear under the roots. The young beluga whale is gray all over and gradually fades with age. Finally, except for the dark deposits on the back, pectoral fins and caudal fins, they are all white. The white skin of adult whales sometimes has a yellowish hue in summer estrus, but it will disappear after molting.
Living habits
The beluga whales in the aquarium (20 whales) are highly gregarious, and will form an extremely close-knit group of individuals, usually composed of beluga whales of the same sex and age, and there are also smaller mother-child beluga populations. When there is no threat from hunters or natural enemies, more than thousands of beluga whales can gather in the estuary delta waters. Beluga whales can make all kinds of sounds, including rotating trills, quacks, bells, sharp clicks (probably made by patting their chins), and the sound of almost pushing away rusty door panels. Bill Schevill, an early cetacean scholar, once described them as follows: "The high-pitched whistling and screaming, the changeable ticking and gurgling are reminiscent of symphony orchestras, and sometimes they are like the chirping of cats or birds." Their voices sometimes make people think that there are a group of children shouting in the distance. For wild beluga whales, the biggest natural enemies are killer whales and polar bears, including humans. Polar bears will quickly run to the area where beluga whales are trapped in the ice, give them a heavy blow with their powerful front paws, and then drag them to the ice to eat. Moby Dick is a very curious animal. He often scoffs and plays around, but he never seems to jump and break the waves. The foggy blow is low and not obvious.
Eating habits
The feeding habits of beluga whales vary with the number of prey in different regions and seasons. It is found that beluga whales eat all kinds of creatures, including fish, cephalopods and crustaceans, but not as fierce as killer whales. Almost all feed near the bottom of the sea, at least 300 meters deep. Moby Dick's wrinkled lips can generate suction when looking for food, and can also spray water on the audience of Sea World. ♀
Growth and reproduction
The breeding period will vary from region to region. Generally speaking, pregnancy mostly occurs in late winter or summer, and Alaska is from the end of February to the beginning of April; East Canada and West Greenland are in May. According to credible statistics, pregnancy may last from less than one year to 14.5 months. The beluga whale suckles for up to two years and then stays with its mother for a long time. The average birth interval is about two years.
Demographic situation
white whale
Although there are still more than 65,438+000,000 beluga whales in the Arctic today, before commercial whaling wiped out some populations, their numbers were much larger than now. Today, the largest number of places include the Beaufort Sea, with about 40,000 heads; In the high latitudes of eastern Canada, there are about 28,000; West of Hudson Bay, about 25,000 people; And the East Bering Sea. Although there are still local residents hunting in the above four areas, other populations remain basically stable. In contrast, other ethnic groups are in danger and are still being hunted. These areas include Cook Bay, Ungava Bay, southeastern Buffon Island and West Greenland. People living in the St. Lawrence River accumulate more pollutants and have a high cancer rate. In addition to testicles and vas deferens, some beluga whales also have uterus and ovaries (hermaphrodites). A part of the estuary delta, once an important distribution center of Moby Dick, is now occupied by speedboat hunters, which can no longer support the distribution of large groups. In order to protect beluga whales, most areas have strict killing control.
protect grade
The Washington Convention Organization has recognized CITES Appendix II level, and the number of beluga whales in the world is only100000, which is considered as a declining species and on the verge of extinction.
Moby Dick and Men
For Eskimos, beluga whales are also very important, not only because their meat is delicious, but also because their oil is not only bright when used for lighting, but also can release a lot of heat to keep the simple igloo warm. In addition, the skin of the beluga whale is also very useful, fragrant and can be made into various decorations.
Most of the beluga whales in the world live in the waters north of Europe, Alaska, the United States and Canada. They like to live in groups, their bodies are white and pink, and they look perfect. But the individual is relatively small, far less than the bowhead whale. 1535, when French explorer Jacques Cartier discovered the St. Lawrence River, his fleet was greeted by Moby Dick. These beluga whales are singing and dancing in the water, and their songs are melodious and resounding hundreds of miles away. Their beautiful melodious sound amazed the crew on board, and they affectionately gave the white whale a beautiful name "Canary at Sea".
Unfortunately, however, since the17th century, due to the high profits of whaling, whalers have carried out crazy killing of beluga whales, resulting in a sharp decline in the number of beluga whales. What is even more tragic is that the ecological environment of beluga whales has been destroyed, and batches of beluga whales have died one after another. Scientists discovered the cause of death after autopsy: due to a series of toxic substances, their immune systems were severely damaged, and these beluga whales suffered from diseases such as gastric ulcer perforation, hepatitis and lung abscess; Moreover, he has bladder cancer, which is unheard of in cetaceans.
Mobidick is a unique white color, which is difficult to recognize in waves and floating ice. If you see a white object appear, get bigger, shrink, and then disappear into the ocean, it is basically it. Beluga whales like to live by the sea or by the sea. Swimming is very gentle, and occasionally the head will be lifted out of the water. Moby Dick has a loud voice, and his jet can be heard on the calm sea hundreds of kilometers away. There are about 5 to 20 beluga whales in a population. In summer, there are hundreds or even thousands near the estuary. Moby Dick is gentle and easy to approach. Distributed in seasonal ice water in the Arctic and sub-Arctic. There are about 50 thousand to 70 thousand.
Mobidick is a rare marine mammal from the Arctic Circle, with less than100000 in the world. It belongs to a large cetacean and feeds on fresh fish and shrimp. Living in the snow-covered Arctic, flawless skin color becomes its natural protective color. Their foreheads are broad and round, their upper and lower lips are full and plump, and their small eyes are bright and radiant, revealing the appearance of a deep card.
Four beluga whales arrived in Qingdao, two females and two males. This is the first time that Moby Dick was introduced to Shandong Province. The age is about three years old. Because beluga whales can be up to 30 or 40 years old, these four whales can only be regarded as young whales. Because of their age, their colors are slightly brown. They are about 4 meters long and weigh 500 kilograms. These four beluga whales enjoy the most comfortable treatment in Qingdao Polar Ocean World. Professionals will take good care of their daily life and train them to circle, dance, kiss and so on. Now they have become acting stars.
Their vitality and adaptability, special appearance, charming nature and acceptable training make them one of the stars in the marine world. Several areas where beluga whales are concentrated have become whale watching sites, including the lower reaches of the St. Lawrence River in eastern Canada and the Churchill Estuary in western Hudson Bay.