Captive Beluga Whale Wiki

**Welcome to the Captive Beluga Whale Wiki!**
The Captive Beluga Whale Wiki is a comprehensive curated database dedicated to captive beluga whale populations worldwide. This database serves as a centralized hub for all those interested in the record keeping of captive beluga whales. Our database offers a wealth of information on captive beluga populations around the world, including data on individual whales, births and captures, pregnancies, and facilities. The Captive Beluga Whale Wiki's main focus is to provide a neutral, unbiased database of beluga whales in captivity.

Beluga whales, scientifically known as Delphinapterus leucas, are a species of marine mammal characterized by their distinctive white coloration and lack of dorsal fins. They inhabit Arctic and sub-Arctic regions, making them well-adapted to cold environments. Known for their playful and social behavior, beluga whales are some of the most widespread marine mammals in captivity worldwide today. The history of beluga captivity can be traced back to the mid-19th century, when efforts to capture and display these animals began. The first recorded instance of a beluga whale in captivity occurred in 1861 when one was displayed at P.T. Barnum's museum in New York, and belugas are widely believed to be the very first cetacean species captured exclusively for entertainment purposes. However, it wasn't until the 1960s and 1970s that the capture and exhibition of beluga whales gained momentum, particularly in North America.

As of 2023, there is an approximate global population of **350** beluga whales held in captivity, and approximately **202** of these individuals are housed exclusively within China. It is important to acknowledge that, due to the limited accessibility of records and data from various Asian and Russian facilities, a significant number of beluga whales remain unaccounted for in this database. We are dedicated in our attempts to document each individual beluga whale to the fullest extent possible.

## Disclaimers

*This website is for educational, non-commercial purposes only and may contain copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner.*

### **Fair Use**

*Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by* *copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.*

### **Other**

#### What is the CBWW ID?

On certain pages on this wiki, individuals have been assigned an ID known as the "Captive Beluga Whale Wiki" or CBWW ID. This is an *unofficial ID* assigned to certain individuals by this Wiki *only* to differentiate those individuals whose official ID is not public. This ID is not used elsewhere and can not be used to find records in other databases.

## Image Citations

1. Shedd Aquarium. (*Facebook, https://www.sheddaquarium.org/*)*.*
2. Mystic Aquarium. (*Facebook*).
3. Jennifer Stuber. (*Flickr*).
4. EmilyOrca. (*Flickr*).
5. Sloan. (*Flickr*).
6. Kate and Anna Oliynyk. (*Flickr*).
7. SterlingSeal. (*Flickr*).