Feeding

Beluga whales need to eat approximately 2.5% to 3% of their body weight per day (about 18.2 to 27.2 kg, or 40-60 lbs). They prefer to feed in shallow waters, primarily upon the invertebrates that live along the ocean floor. It is thought that the whales use their flexible faces and lips to suck their food from the sea bottom. A beluga whale's flexible neck allows a wide range of motion while foraging the ocean floor. Beluga whales also hunt schooling fishes. In groups of five or more, belugas herd fish into shallow water before attacking. Beluga whales don't chew their food; they swallow it whole. In their unending quest for food, belugas wills scarf down almost anything - researchers have found debris such as tree bark, plants, sand, stones, and paper in the stomachs of beluga whales.