At birth, beluga whales are a dark bluish-gray color and weigh from 90-130lbs, its color lightens as it gets older, and by the time a while reached 6 or 7 years old it will be completely white. An adult male can be between 11 and 15 feet long and weigh anywhere between 1000 and 2000lbs, while adult females rarely exceed 12 feet. Belugas have a layer of blubber 5 inches thick. They have a small dorsal fin that appears as a low ridge along the midline of its back. It is the only species of whale that can bend its neck. By the time a beluga reaches adulthood, it should have a total of 40 teeth. These animals sometimes travel in groups of up to 1000 whales, but are more commonly found in smaller groups of 2-5 whales.

Belugas are carnivores. They're winter foods are unknown, but in the summer time they hunt bottom dwelling prey such as octopus, squid, shrimp, crabs, and clams. They also live off of many kinds of fish like herring, capelin, smelt, arctic and saffron cods and salmon. Most of their feeding is done on or near the continental shelf and the mouths of rivers. Most feeding dives are between 20 and 100 feet deep and usually last for 2-5 minutes.

The belugas habitat includes the Arctic and sub-Arctic waters of North America, Greenland, Europe and Asia. During the winter and spring months, belugas can often be found in ice covered regions, while during the summer and fall months, they can be found mostly in coastal waters. Some common homes of belugas include the Bering, Chuckchi, and Beaufort seas. They also range from Bristol Bay to Mackenzie River Delta in Canada. It is not unusual to find beluga ascending in large rivers such as the Yukon. These mammals seem to be unaffected by salinity changes. Only 4-7percent of their time is spent at the surface.