Belugas, often called the “canaries of the sea,” are among the most sociable creatures in the ocean. Their lively repertoire of high-pitched clicks, chirps, and whistles fills the water as they communicate with one another, creating a constant underwater conversation that earns them their musical nickname.

Each summer, as sea ice begins to melt, belugas follow the retreating ice edge into warmer lagoons and estuaries scattered across the Arctic. In these shallow coastal havens, they gather by the thousands. The scenes are remarkable: entire pods swimming together in calm, sunlit waters. Occasionally their curiosity leads them even farther inland. One remarkable individual was once spotted more than 1,000 kilometers up Alaska’s Yukon River.

These summer retreats serve multiple vital purposes. Here, belugas feed on abundant fish and invertebrates, mothers give birth in the relative safety of warm shallows, and the whales undergo an essential annual molt. Throughout the long winter, belugas develop a thick, yellowish outer layer of skin. In summer, they shed this layer to maintain healthy skin and remove accumulated bacteria.

To speed up the process, they rub their bodies gently against gravel beds in the shallow bays. The combination of warmer water and lower salinity increases blood flow to the germinal layer beneath the skin, encouraging fresh cells to grow more quickly. What looks like simple play is actually a sophisticated renewal ritual that keeps these intelligent whales healthy for the cold months ahead.