Range
Belugas are found in Arctic waters around northern Russia, North America, Greenland and the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard (3). Most populations migrate north in the spring, then south in the autumn once the ice starts to form (7).
 | View a distribution map for this species at UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre. |
Habitat
The beluga whale inhabits cold arctic waters, usually near to the ice edge (3). Summer is spent in shallow bays and estuaries, whereas in winter, the beluga whale occurs in areas of loose pack ice, where wind and ocean currents keeps cracks for breathing holes open (2).
