Living
in a coastal community in Newfoundland will often afford you the chance
to see many types of wildlife and marine animals in your own "backyard".
It is also possible to see creatures that are not so common to these parts,
such as a Polar Bear, which may have inadvertently found itself adrift
too far south with the Arctic Ice that traces the coast of eastern Newfoundland
each year this time. This spring however has brought a new visitor to
the area, a Beluga Whale!The first sighting of the sea mammal in Northwest
Arm, Valleyfield was on the evening of Tuesday, May14th. There had been
earlier sightings of a Beluga in the week prior to this in communities
further down the coast, which has caused many to speculate it is the same
whale that is being sighted in Valleyfield.
Many
species of whales make their home in the waters of the North Atlantic
off Newfoundland, but a beluga is not one of them. The white whale is
a circumpolar creature, mainly Arctic, but extending to sub arctic, occupying
coastal and estuarine areas. They are found off the coasts of Scandinavia,
Greenland, Svalbard, the former Soviet Union, and North America. Many
Belugas winter in areas of loose pack ice where wind and ocean currents
keep cracks and breathing holes open. Summers are spent in shallow bays
and estuaries while some populations swim 1,000km (620miles) or more up
river.Most populations do not make extensive migrations. The longest migration
is by those that winter in the Bering Sea and summer in the Mackenzie
River, Canada.
This
particular whale is not fully-grown as evidenced by its grey skin that
will typically turn a brighter white once it reaches adulthood. It is
not known what brought this playful creature to our area but it has definantly
garnered its share of attention from local residents, and visitors alike.
It is especially interesting to see the reactions of the children. They
like to spot the whale as it dives and resurfaces along the shore, sometimes
close enough for them to touch with their hands! Who knows perhaps he/she
may decide to stick around for a while longer.
Living
in a coastal community in Newfoundland will often afford you the chance
to see many types of wildlife and marine animals in your own "backyard".
It is also possible to see creatures that are not so common to these parts,
such as a Polar Bear, which may have inadvertently found itself adrift
too far south with the Arctic Ice that traces the coast of eastern Newfoundland
each year this time. This spring however has brought a new visitor to
the area, a Beluga Whale!The first sighting of the sea mammal in Northwest
Arm, Valleyfield was on the evening of Tuesday, May14th. There had been
earlier sightings of a Beluga in the week prior to this in communities
further down the coast, which has caused many to speculate it is the same
whale that is being sighted in Valleyfield. 
Many
species of whales make their home in the waters of the North Atlantic
off Newfoundland, but a beluga is not one of them. The white whale is
a circumpolar creature, mainly Arctic, but extending to sub arctic, occupying
coastal and estuarine areas. They are found off the coasts of Scandinavia,
Greenland, Svalbard, the former Soviet Union, and North America. Many
Belugas winter in areas of loose pack ice where wind and ocean currents
keep cracks and breathing holes open. Summers are spent in shallow bays
and estuaries while some populations swim 1,000km (620miles) or more up
river.Most populations do not make extensive migrations. The longest migration
is by those that winter in the Bering Sea and summer in the Mackenzie
River, Canada. 
This
particular whale is not fully-grown as evidenced by its grey skin that
will typically turn a brighter white once it reaches adulthood. It is
not known what brought this playful creature to our area but it has definantly
garnered its share of attention from local residents, and visitors alike.
