Beluga Whale (Delphinapterus leucas)

OTHER NAMES: Beluga, Sea Canary, White Whale
Latin Etymology: Delphinapterus ("dolphin without fin") leucas ("white")

 Beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) at Gravesend - September 2018

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 700-1600kg  /  Length: 3-5.5m
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Near Threatened

Beluga have been one of my favourite mammals since childhood, but, given the fact they are restricted to the Arctic Ocean for the most part, I had assumed that if I ever got to see one, it would be through a planned trip to some cold Northerly place.  So it was something of a surprise for one to turn up in the Thames in September 2018, and what's more, stick around for long enough for me to go see it.   The pure white colour is the most iconic visual cue, but they have a number of other distinctive adaptations including a very flexible neck for a whale and an absense of a dorsal fin.  They are also highly social creatures, so it's somewhat sad that this individual has been separated from it's pod, and as of writing, is still in Thames on it's own - hopefully it finds its way home.

Related Species:
ORDER: Artiodactyla
FAMILY: Monodontidae
GENUS: Delphinapterus
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A very rare vagrant, 

 - Single vagrant individual seen in the Thames from Gravesend ,

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Megaptera ("giant wing") novaeangliae ("New Englander") 

Adult Humpback Whale (subspecies M. n. kuzira) on Half Moon Bay Pelagic - September 2022

Featured Subspecies: Megaptera novaeangliae kuzira
Weight: 40tns  /  Length: 14-17m
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The seventh largest species on earth, the Humpback is a huge and distinctive member of the rorquals - the ground the comprises the largest of the baleen whales. They are visually distinctive amongst this group due to the tubercles they have on their head and flippers, as well as having jagged edged to their tail flukes. Once bought to near extinction by the whaling industry, their numbers have substantially rebounded, but they continue to be affected by ship collisions, fishing gear entanglement and noise pollution.

Related Species:
Order: Artiodactyla (Infraorder: Cetacea)
Family: Balaenopteridae
Genus: Megaptera
SUBSPECIES: M. n. novaeangliae, M. n. kuzira, M. n. australis

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
Found off all coasts
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen on the Half Moon Bay Pelagic Trip

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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