Beluga Whale

This marine mammal is commonly referred to as the sea canary due to its high-pitched twitter. It is up to 5 m (16 ft) in length and an unmistakable all-white color with a distinctive protuberance on the head.

From a conservation perspective, the beluga is considered "near threatened" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature; however the subpopulation from the Cook Inlet in Alaska is considered critically endangered and is under the protection of the United States' Endangered Species Act. Of seven Canadian beluga populations, two are listed as endangered, inhabiting eastern Hudson Bay, and Ungava Bay.