Thought for the Week

I have been a life-time member of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) and my adopted whale is called Salt, a magnificent humpback.

I receive regular updates on Salt and am pleased to say that she is doing very well and has recently become a great grand-mother.

I am also a great fan of the beluga whale, a more ‘cuddly’ looking smaller white cetacean with a very cute face.

These lovely creatures can expect to live for 35 to 50 years in the wild.

However, sadly, as with many whales and dolphins, these beluga whales are captured and held in concrete cages in captivity which reduces their lifespan by half.

Today more than 300 belugas are held in marine parks and aquaria in at least 10 different countries.

Whales are some of the most intelligent and sensitive creatures on this planet and are not meant to be kept in captivity.

The totally enchanting beluga whales are one of the most vocal of all whales and dolphins, hence their other name, the ‘sea canary’. Their musical vocalisations are so exuberant that they can often be heard above water and even through the hulls of boats.

As it happens, they are also one of the only two species of cetacean who can, essentially, pull funny faces and change their facial expressions, rounding their lips as they produce certain sounds.

Recently WDC rescued two young female belugas from an aquarium in China where they had been imprisoned for eight years.

The joy of their freedom brought the rescuers their own tears of joy.

‘The whales do not sing because they have an answer, they sing because they have a song.’ I pray it will never be silenced.