The Whale Who Won Hearts by Brian Skerry

Author:Brian Skerry [Skerry, Brian]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-4263-1606-7
Publisher: National Geographic Society
Published: 2014-06-10T04:00:00+00:00

Beluga whales are often called white whales. They are among the world’s smallest whales. Adults can measure up to 20 feet (6 m) long. Males can weigh up to 3,000 pounds (1,360 kg). Belugas hunt for fish, squid, and shrimp. They also eat crabs and marine worms. Beluga whales can dive as deep as 3,300 feet (1,000 m). They can stay underwater for as long as 25 minutes. But they must come up to the surface to breathe. Like most whales, a beluga breathes air through a blowhole on top of its head.

Whales sing and call to one another across great distances underwater. Beluga whales are very chatty. They are constantly making all kinds of sounds. They chirp and squeak. They clang and whistle. Maybe the young whale felt comforted by the buoy’s constant clinking and clanging.

It didn’t take long for Jim to hear about the white whale. He’s lived on the shore of Chedabucto Bay all his life. He has traveled around the world in great sailing ships. He has lived among seals in the frozen north. He has searched for treasure off the sandy shores of tropical islands. He has been face to face with all kinds of ocean life. But, just like me, one thing he had always dreamed of was swimming with a whale. Jim was thrilled to learn a young beluga was right in his own “backyard.” He couldn’t wait to meet her.

Jim got his diving gear ready. He loaded it onto his small, inflatable boat. Then he motored his little boat across the water to a small, rocky beach. From here he could see the red buoy. He pulled his boat up on the beach. He put on his diving gear and slipped into the water. He swam down about 20 feet (6 m). He wasn’t sure what to expect. He hoped to see the white whale. But he didn’t think she’d come very close to him.

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