We can easily see the melon on the beluga head.
© Parks Canada / N. Boisvert
Beluga
© Parks Canada / W. Lynch
Yes! Belugas use the hump on their head, called the melon, for echolocation. The beluga whale emits sounds that strike objects it encounters. Those sounds are reflected back to the beluga, and this allows it to see a sound image of the object before it. A sound vision! Moreover, belugas produce so many different sounds, e.g. whistles, bawling, clicks, etc., that they are nicknamed "sea canaries".
Listen to a “sea canary”
We can observe the St. Lawrence’s belugas in the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park. This threatened population is the southernmost population on the planet. To observe the other populations, one would need to go to the Arctic!
This population of beluga whales and their habitat are protected through the collaborative work between Canada and the Government of Quebec for the establishment and management of the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park.
For more information: www.parkscanada.ca
To learn more about belugas: