BEARING WITNESS
Archives
Q, Beluga
Executive Director's Note: This month’s Bearing Witness brings attention to the enchanting world beneath the sea. Q is not captive in the usual sense. However, he experiences stress and deprivation comparable to land animals. Marine animals are as vulnerable to trauma as their terrestrial counterparts but most conservation does not consider psychological, emotional, and social aspects of their wellbeing, or even critical aspects of their physical needs and susceptibilities. Despite our knowledge, on 12 November, 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Navy had the right to use sonar, a technology that can be fatal to already fragile dolphins, whales, and other marine mammal cultures (see sonar article).
Here in the story of Q, an orphaned beluga, we see an innovative example of how principles of trans-species psychology are applied in conservation to protect not just a species, but each of its individual members. This year, our first Summer Research Intern, Andres Lester-Coll, conducted a case study on the psychological assessment and recovery status of another beluga orphan, Casper-Echo. These efforts represent The Kerulos Center’s commitment to fur, skin, feather—and fin.
Just as there are differences among human cultures, animal societies are equally diverse. Not only do they vary in terms of what they eat, where and how they live, but also in how they interact socially. Not unlike humans, we often see different populations within the same species having distinct cultural characteristics. While all animals interact with each other in various ways, some species live their entire lives in close contact with conspecifics, members of the same species. Elephant, dolphin, parrot, and chimpanzee lives are made up of a complex web of relationships and interactions. Finding and eating food, sleeping, playing, and all the things that we do that makes up living, is done in the company of family and friends. Notwithstanding the close-knit nature of social animals, it is not uncommon to find individuals living alone.
One such person is Q, a beluga whale, named for the quantum leap required to protect and enrich the lives of free-swimming belugas. Belugas and dolphins belong to a group of cetaceans called "odontocetes" toothed whales. Less than two years old, Q has set up residence in Nova Scotia’s Bay of Fundy where he was first sighted on 22 June, 2008 by a lobster fisherman. He belongs to a class of dolphin and toothed whales called "solitaries", individuals who rarely join the company of their conspecifics. Q is one of a growing number of lost or geographically-isolated belugas found in busy harbors and beach sides, hundreds of kilometers from their endangered families.
There are a number of reasons why someone who belongs to a social species ends up living alone. Sometimes the solitary state is temporary, triggered by the loss of a companion or group. Other times, solitary life results from problems of food availability, predator pressures, conflicts within the group, or habitat change. Today, however, the mostl likely cause is disruption by humans. For example, more and more people want to be up close to dolphins interacting intimately. While intentions may be good, the outcome for dolphins is not.
Q is an orphan, something that arises when mother and family are killed or separated as a result of hunting, destruction of beluga habitat, injuries or death from boat propellers, and accidental or intentional harm from people. Not all solitaries are orphans. One adult dolphin, Fungie, lives off the Irish coast and has become legendary as the longest living solitary dolphin. For almost two decades, Fungie has preferred contact with people over that of his own species, even though he is not geographically isolated from conspecifics (see marine connection article).
To date, there are at least seventy solitary and sociable toothed cetaceans recorded worldwide. Historically, bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) make up the majority of scientific observations of the human-friendly solitary individuals. More recently, however, numerous instances of solitary-but-sociable beluga whales have been noted, as well as sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus), orcas (Orcinus orca), and pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus).
The underlying reasons these individuals choose solitude may echo those of other mammalian species. Dolphins, however, can be particularly attracted to humans. The majority of solitaries studied interact willingly with humans,seeming to seek companionship and even close bodily contact. Solitary dolphins can form long-term, close associations with humans and other cetacean species. And even when they are part of their own species’ groups, belugas and other toothed whales sometimes try to socialize with swimmers and boaters, even absent the attraction of food. This gregarious behavior of solitaries is now believed to be a consequence of the solitary lifestyle, not a cause of it. Such individuals are not really asocial, they just seem to have different social tastes.
In contrast to toothed cetaceans who seem to choose the solitary lifestyle, the solitude of an orphaned individual may not be as rewarding. In such cases, the trans-species sociability of orphans stems from their development as an altricial species. By definition, young altricial animals require adult care, protection, and mentoring for a long duration. During this period, young belugas learn culture, social communication, foraging, predator avoidance, and other basics of life that will prepare them to be parents when they mature. Most often, infants perish without their mother’s nurturance. On occasion, however, they survive physically, but remain painfully deprived emotionally. Like elephants, cats, and parrots, solitary orphaned belugas are highly intelligent and social, and may require emotional and psychological care. To fill the emotional void, they often approach boats or develop attachments to floating objects such as fishing gear or buoys. And, of course, they befriend people.
It is possible to help these orphans, but the task is not easy as examples of terrestrial fostering reveal. Dame Daphne, founder of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust near Nairobi, Kenya, has rescued more than 80 infant elephants and coaxed them back to health. After some ten years of intensive care, most young elephants are ready to rejoin their wild relatives. Yet even with the gifts and skills of Dame Daphne, there are many heart-breaking losses when trauma has been too severe for the orphaned pachyderms to survive.
Beluga and other marine mammal rescues present an even greater challenge than their terrestrial counterparts. Currently, there are no marine sanctuaries that can accommodate Q and others like him, to provide security and care while he matures to a point where he can survive on his own. However, the Whale Stewardship Project (WSP) is one organization that has stepped in to try and save these vulnerable beings.
Driven mainly by volunteer efforts, WSP has established a proven record of public education, conservation, and research programs for lone belugas over the past ten years. This work is part of a broader effort to protect the threatened and endangered species from which the solitaries originate. Directed by Cathy Kinsman and Dr. Toni Frohoff (Kerulos faculty and director and founder of TerraMar Research), the WPC represents the only dedicated effort to study and protect these remarkable whales. The WSP has been uniquely successful and has even established an internationally-recognized template used to protect solitary, sociable dolphins and belugas around the world. Cathy and Toni are the only researchers to have comprehensively and scientifically documented the lone, sociable belugas who have been observed throughout the waters of Eastern Canada. They are also responsible for the development and implementation of the first on-water and on-land programs that seek to protect solitary sociable belugas and to engage human communities safely in marine stewardship.
At present, belugas are facing unique challenges. Yet we have an unprecedented opportunity to help Q and others like him. Solitary belugas and other species are increasing in numbers just as the hazards of marine life are growing. The complexities of marine protection urgently compel the creation of innovative conservation strategies. For more information about Q and how to help him and other solitaries in need, please contact: Dr. Toni Frohoff (TerraMar Research) or Cathy Kinsman (Whale Stewardship Project).
photo credits
all inset images copyright by Keith Roberts (1) and Cathy Kinsman (2-4).
endnotes
The workbook from a 2004 workshop held by the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network defines an orphaned marine mammal as a “stranded or free-swimming unweaned marine mammal that has received no maternal care for at least 24 hours.” Given the behavioral and social complexity of beluga whales, specifically the profound influence of early developmental experiences on brain and behavior that are normatively socially-mediated, the term orphan includes those individuals who may be nutritionally weaned but have yet to be “socially weaned” from the mother.
read further
Beluga Whale "Nico" Dies MysteriouslyGeorgia Public Radio. Retrieved March 13, 2010.
"Georgia Aquarium officials said Monday that a beluga whale died unexpectedly while on a temporary stay at Sea World in San Antonio."
Dudzinski, K.D. and Frohoff, T. 2008. Dolphin Mysteries: Unlocking the Secrets of Communication. Yale University Press, New Haven, Connecticut.
Dudzinski, K. M., Frohoff, T. G. & Crane, N. L. 1995. Behaviour of a lone female bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) with humans off the coast of Belize. Aquatic Mammals 29, 149-153.
Frohoff, T.G. 2004. Stress in Dolphins. Pages 1158-1164 in Encyclopedia of Animal Behaviour (M. Bekoff, Ed.). Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.:
Frohoff, T. 2008. Marine Animal Welfare (mammals and non-mammals). Pages 515-521 in Encyclopedia of Tourism and Recreation in Marine Environments (Michael Lück, Ed.) CABI Press, Wallingford, UK.
Frohoff, T., Vail, C.S., and Bossley, M. 2006. Preliminary Proceedings of the Workshop on the Research and Management of Solitary, Sociable Odontocetes convened at the16th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, San Diego, California, December 10, 2005. International Whaling Commission Scientific Committee, SC/58/13.
Kinsman, C.K. 2003. Luminary. Pages 127-137 in Between Species: Celebrating the Dolphin-Human Bond (T.G. Frohoff and B. Peterson, Eds.). San Francisco: Sierra Club Books.
Kinsman, C.K. and Frohoff, T.G. 2005. The Whale Stewardship Project: Research and Management of Solitary Beluga Whales in Eastern Canada. (Frohoff, T, Vail, C.S., and Bossley, M. Eds.). Pages 26-31 in Report from the Workshop on Research and Management of Solitary, Sociable Odontocetes. 16th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, San Diego, California, 10 December 2005.
Lockyer, C. 1990. Review of incidents involving wild, sociable dolphins, worldwide. pp.337-353. In: S. Leatherwood and R. R. Reeves (eds.) The Bottlenose Dolphin. San Diego, CA, Academic Press.
Wilke, M. Bossley, M., and Doak, W. 2005. Managing human interactions with solitary
dolphins. Aquatic Mammals 31(4), 427-433.
back to top
Archives
Q, Beluga
Executive Director's Note: This month’s Bearing Witness brings attention to the enchanting world beneath the sea. Q is not captive in the usual sense. However, he experiences stress and deprivation comparable to land animals. Marine animals are as vulnerable to trauma as their terrestrial counterparts but most conservation does not consider psychological, emotional, and social aspects of their wellbeing, or even critical aspects of their physical needs and susceptibilities. Despite our knowledge, on 12 November, 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Navy had the right to use sonar, a technology that can be fatal to already fragile dolphins, whales, and other marine mammal cultures (see sonar article).
Here in the story of Q, an orphaned beluga, we see an innovative example of how principles of trans-species psychology are applied in conservation to protect not just a species, but each of its individual members. This year, our first Summer Research Intern, Andres Lester-Coll, conducted a case study on the psychological assessment and recovery status of another beluga orphan, Casper-Echo. These efforts represent The Kerulos Center’s commitment to fur, skin, feather—and fin.
One such person is Q, a beluga whale, named for the quantum leap required to protect and enrich the lives of free-swimming belugas. Belugas and dolphins belong to a group of cetaceans called "odontocetes" toothed whales. Less than two years old, Q has set up residence in Nova Scotia’s Bay of Fundy where he was first sighted on 22 June, 2008 by a lobster fisherman. He belongs to a class of dolphin and toothed whales called "solitaries", individuals who rarely join the company of their conspecifics. Q is one of a growing number of lost or geographically-isolated belugas found in busy harbors and beach sides, hundreds of kilometers from their endangered families.
Q is an orphan, something that arises when mother and family are killed or separated as a result of hunting, destruction of beluga habitat, injuries or death from boat propellers, and accidental or intentional harm from people. Not all solitaries are orphans. One adult dolphin, Fungie, lives off the Irish coast and has become legendary as the longest living solitary dolphin. For almost two decades, Fungie has preferred contact with people over that of his own species, even though he is not geographically isolated from conspecifics (see marine connection article).
The underlying reasons these individuals choose solitude may echo those of other mammalian species. Dolphins, however, can be particularly attracted to humans. The majority of solitaries studied interact willingly with humans,seeming to seek companionship and even close bodily contact. Solitary dolphins can form long-term, close associations with humans and other cetacean species. And even when they are part of their own species’ groups, belugas and other toothed whales sometimes try to socialize with swimmers and boaters, even absent the attraction of food. This gregarious behavior of solitaries is now believed to be a consequence of the solitary lifestyle, not a cause of it. Such individuals are not really asocial, they just seem to have different social tastes.
In contrast to toothed cetaceans who seem to choose the solitary lifestyle, the solitude of an orphaned individual may not be as rewarding. In such cases, the trans-species sociability of orphans stems from their development as an altricial species. By definition, young altricial animals require adult care, protection, and mentoring for a long duration. During this period, young belugas learn culture, social communication, foraging, predator avoidance, and other basics of life that will prepare them to be parents when they mature. Most often, infants perish without their mother’s nurturance. On occasion, however, they survive physically, but remain painfully deprived emotionally. Like elephants, cats, and parrots, solitary orphaned belugas are highly intelligent and social, and may require emotional and psychological care. To fill the emotional void, they often approach boats or develop attachments to floating objects such as fishing gear or buoys. And, of course, they befriend people.
It is possible to help these orphans, but the task is not easy as examples of terrestrial fostering reveal. Dame Daphne, founder of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust near Nairobi, Kenya, has rescued more than 80 infant elephants and coaxed them back to health. After some ten years of intensive care, most young elephants are ready to rejoin their wild relatives. Yet even with the gifts and skills of Dame Daphne, there are many heart-breaking losses when trauma has been too severe for the orphaned pachyderms to survive.
Beluga and other marine mammal rescues present an even greater challenge than their terrestrial counterparts. Currently, there are no marine sanctuaries that can accommodate Q and others like him, to provide security and care while he matures to a point where he can survive on his own. However, the Whale Stewardship Project (WSP) is one organization that has stepped in to try and save these vulnerable beings.
At present, belugas are facing unique challenges. Yet we have an unprecedented opportunity to help Q and others like him. Solitary belugas and other species are increasing in numbers just as the hazards of marine life are growing. The complexities of marine protection urgently compel the creation of innovative conservation strategies. For more information about Q and how to help him and other solitaries in need, please contact: Dr. Toni Frohoff (TerraMar Research) or Cathy Kinsman (Whale Stewardship Project).
photo credits
all inset images copyright by Keith Roberts (1) and Cathy Kinsman (2-4).
endnotes
The workbook from a 2004 workshop held by the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network defines an orphaned marine mammal as a “stranded or free-swimming unweaned marine mammal that has received no maternal care for at least 24 hours.” Given the behavioral and social complexity of beluga whales, specifically the profound influence of early developmental experiences on brain and behavior that are normatively socially-mediated, the term orphan includes those individuals who may be nutritionally weaned but have yet to be “socially weaned” from the mother.
read further
Beluga Whale "Nico" Dies MysteriouslyGeorgia Public Radio. Retrieved March 13, 2010.
"Georgia Aquarium officials said Monday that a beluga whale died unexpectedly while on a temporary stay at Sea World in San Antonio."
Dudzinski, K.D. and Frohoff, T. 2008. Dolphin Mysteries: Unlocking the Secrets of Communication. Yale University Press, New Haven, Connecticut.
Dudzinski, K. M., Frohoff, T. G. & Crane, N. L. 1995. Behaviour of a lone female bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) with humans off the coast of Belize. Aquatic Mammals 29, 149-153.
Frohoff, T.G. 2004. Stress in Dolphins. Pages 1158-1164 in Encyclopedia of Animal Behaviour (M. Bekoff, Ed.). Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.:
Frohoff, T. 2008. Marine Animal Welfare (mammals and non-mammals). Pages 515-521 in Encyclopedia of Tourism and Recreation in Marine Environments (Michael Lück, Ed.) CABI Press, Wallingford, UK.
Frohoff, T., Vail, C.S., and Bossley, M. 2006. Preliminary Proceedings of the Workshop on the Research and Management of Solitary, Sociable Odontocetes convened at the16th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, San Diego, California, December 10, 2005. International Whaling Commission Scientific Committee, SC/58/13.
Kinsman, C.K. 2003. Luminary. Pages 127-137 in Between Species: Celebrating the Dolphin-Human Bond (T.G. Frohoff and B. Peterson, Eds.). San Francisco: Sierra Club Books.
Kinsman, C.K. and Frohoff, T.G. 2005. The Whale Stewardship Project: Research and Management of Solitary Beluga Whales in Eastern Canada. (Frohoff, T, Vail, C.S., and Bossley, M. Eds.). Pages 26-31 in Report from the Workshop on Research and Management of Solitary, Sociable Odontocetes. 16th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, San Diego, California, 10 December 2005.
Lockyer, C. 1990. Review of incidents involving wild, sociable dolphins, worldwide. pp.337-353. In: S. Leatherwood and R. R. Reeves (eds.) The Bottlenose Dolphin. San Diego, CA, Academic Press.
Wilke, M. Bossley, M., and Doak, W. 2005. Managing human interactions with solitary
dolphins. Aquatic Mammals 31(4), 427-433.
back to top
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"Science in service to animals"
Beluga Facts
Order: Cetacea
Suborder: Odontoceti (toothed whales)
Family: Monodontidae
Genus: Delphinapterus
Species: Delphinapterus leucas
Belugas are commonly known as white whales. They are not to be confused with sturgeon whose roe is often referred to as beluga caviar. They are sometimes called “Sea Canaries” because of their high-pitched voices. They are one of two members of the family Monodonitae, the other being a Narwhal.
A dark gray color at birth, belugas become white in adulthood, are about 15 feet in length, and weigh up to 2400 pounds. They are distinct from all other whales because of their protruding and expressive “melon”, the dome-shaped head and human-like faces. They are found along the coasts of Russia, Alaska, the Canadian Arctic, and Greenland, sometimes swimming upstream hundreds of kilometers in rivers such as the Yukon and Amur rivers. The most southerly population resides in the St. Lawrence River estuary.
Belugas live in fluid societies, but the mother-calf relationship is extremely strong and long-term. The exact dates of spring birth varies with latitude, and baby belugas nurse with their mothers up to two years and return to the same estuary to visit them. Belugas eat a variety of food—squid, octopi, crabs, fish—as they forage along the sea floor. They can hold their breath up to fifteen minutes, and can dive more than two thousand feet below the surface. Besides humans, orcas and polar bears are their primary predators.
Like all other whales, beluga populations are in crisis. Because of hunting, habitat degradation, chemical toxins, boat accidents, disease from pollution, and capture for aquaria, beluga numbers have dropped dramatically over past decades. Though listed as threatened and endangered under the Endangered Species Act, they are in need of much greater protection.
