A video showing a Beluga whale trying to scare kids visiting an aquarium is going viral as we file this story. The video captured by YouTube user Michelle Cotton shows two kids watching over the Beluga whales through the thick glass walls of the aquarium.
While everything looks normal for the first few seconds of the video, the really interesting part starts at the 46 second mark when one of the Beluga whales sticks his forehead to the glass- making the children laugh. A few seconds later, the whale is seen opening its mouth in a scary manner – in an attempt to mock the kids and scare them. It really does look quite scary as the whale sports a terrorizing look on its usually serene face.
The most incredible part comes at the 1:03 second mark where the Beluga Whale turns back and then scares the kids again – similar to what many humans would do. In fact, it is at that moment in the video that you would probably realize how intelligent these marine mammals are. Following this, the whale tilts its head as to curiously study the strange little creatures it sees through the glass. Enjoying the attention it is getting from the kid audience, the Beluga whale continues to do what it had been doing much to the joy of the kids before moving away.
Beluga Whales are related to dolphins and killer whales and like the aforementioned species, are known to be highly intelligent animals. Like dolphins, Beluga whales are also known to be friendly to humans. This has been once again demonstrated by folks from over at Explore.org who have this year installed underwater cameras on the bow of a boat named Zodiac to study visiting Beluga whales – in real time in the Churchill river. Beluga whales are known to swim upstream in the river during this time of the year, says a report by CBC News Canada.
According to Charles Annenberg Weingarten, the founder of Explore.org;
“They’re curious and they’re somewhat uninhibited in a way, and friendly, and so when they hear the boats they have a tendency to swing closer.”
Unfortunately, this also makes them susceptible to hunters. Around 1500 Beluga whales are killed each year in Northern America alone. The species is however not endangered.
(To subscribe to
The Pet Tree House, click on this icon
in the black drop-down menu on your right. Thank you.)
on Twitter
@thepettreehouse
Visit my new blog!
The News Whisperer, An informative blog of what's going on in your world today!
at:
www.whispersoftheworld.com
FOLLOW US!
