Beluga whales are known as the "canaries of the sea" because of their extraordinary vocal abilities and the wide variety of sounds they use to communicate. Beyond their unique voices, however, belugas also serve as sentinels of ocean health. By studying their health, behavior, and physiology, scientists can gain important insights into the condition of the marine ecosystems they call home and better understand the challenges facing ocean wildlife.

Many beluga populations live in remote Arctic and sub-Arctic regions, making them difficult to study. For endangered populations, such as the Cook Inlet belugas in Alaska, gathering accurate health information is critical to understanding why numbers remain low and how conservation efforts can best support recovery.

That's where Mystic Aquarium comes in.

Through decades of experience caring for belugas and collaborations with scientists, wildlife agencies, and Indigenous communities, Mystic Aquarium researchers are helping develop innovative tools and techniques to monitor wild beluga health, often in ways that are less invasive, more accurate, and more informative than ever before.

Protecting an Endangered Population

The Cook Inlet beluga population has experienced significant decline over the past several decades and remains endangered despite conservation efforts.

To better understand the challenges facing Cook Inlet Belugas and other Beluga populations, Mystic Aquarium scientists are working alongside partners including the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, NOAA Fisheries, the Alaska SeaLife Center, the North Slope Borough Department of Wildlife Management, and other research organizations.

Together, these teams are studying everything from body condition and diet to disease exposure, stress, immune function, and environmental impacts.

The goal is simple: gather the information needed to make informed conservation decisions and support the long-term recovery of wild beluga populations.

Conducting Health Assessments in the Field

One of the most direct ways scientists monitor beluga health is through comprehensive health assessments.

Mystic Aquarium researchers participate in field studies in Alaska, collecting and analyzing blood, skin, and breath samples from wild belugas. These samples provide valuable information about immune function, hormone levels, disease exposure, and overall health.

Researchers also monitor exposure to diseases that can affect reproduction and population growth. One example is Brucella, a bacterial infection that can impact an animal's ability to successfully reproduce. Mystic Aquarium developed specialized testing methods for marine mammals that are now used as a resource throughout the zoological community.

These assessments provide a snapshot of population health and help scientists understand how environmental changes may be affecting wild whales.

Learning More Through Breath

What if scientists could monitor whale health without ever needing to handle the whale?

Mystic Aquarium researchers are making that possible through innovative breath-sampling techniques.

A beluga's exhaled breath contains biological information related to stress, reproduction, disease, and immune health. They can even tell the sex of the whale by studying its breath. After refining breath collection methods with belugas living at Mystic Aquarium, researchers successfully applied the techniques in the field and collected more than 80 breath samples from wild belugas in Manitoba, Canada during the summer of 2025.

These non-invasive approaches offer exciting opportunities to monitor vulnerable populations while minimizing stress on the animals being studied.

Looking Beneath the Surface Through Skin Samples

Beluga skin contains a surprising amount of information about a whale's health.

Mystic Aquarium scientists are studying skin samples in collaboration with NOAA Fisheries collected from endangered Cook Inlet belugas and comparing them with samples from healthier populations in Bristol Bay and the Chukchi Sea.

Researchers analyze indicators including hormones, contaminants, genetics, and other molecular biological markers that can reveal how whales are functioning internally.

Early findings suggest there are measurable differences between Cook Inlet belugas and healthier populations, providing important clues that may help explain why some populations continue to struggle while others remain stable.

This information can help guide future conservation strategies and population management decisions.

Measuring Health from the Sky

Wildlife biologists increasingly use drones to photograph whales from above and assess body condition through a process known as photogrammetry.

But how do scientists know whether the measurements they collect indicate a healthy whale?

Mystic Aquarium's belugas are helping answer that question.

Aquarium belugas have been trained to participate in body measurements and standardized photography sessions that mirror drone-based studies in the wild. Because researchers know the exact weights and measurements of these animals, the data serves as an important benchmark for interpreting images collected from endangered populations such as Cook Inlet belugas.

This allows scientists to more accurately assess the health and nutritional condition of wild whales from a safe distance.

Understanding What Belugas Eat

Food availability is one of the most important factors influencing whale health and survival.

Mystic Aquarium scientists collaborated with researchers from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to develop a more accurate method for determining what wild belugas eat.

Aquarium belugas played a critical role because researchers knew exactly what foods they consumed. This allowed scientists to refine and validate techniques that analyze dietary clues found in skin and blood samples.

The result is a beluga-specific tool that provides a clearer picture of diet and feeding patterns in wild populations, including Cook Inlet belugas.

Understanding what whales eat helps researchers identify potential food shortages, habitat challenges, and other conservation concerns.

The Value of Belugas in Human Care

Many of the tools now being used to study wild belugas would not be possible without the participation of belugas living in accredited aquariums.

Because Aquarium belugas voluntarily participate in healthcare and research activities, scientists can test new methods, validate findings, and establish healthy reference values that can later be applied to wild populations.

From breath sampling and body condition assessments to disease diagnostics and microbiome studies, the knowledge gained through Aquarium research helps scientists better understand and protect belugas living in the wild.

Science That Supports Conservation

Monitoring wild belugas requires more than counting whales. It requires understanding their health, identifying emerging threats, and developing new ways to gather information while minimizing impacts on the animals themselves.

Through collaborative research and scientific innovation, Mystic Aquarium is helping build the tools that conservationists need to better understand and protect wild beluga populations, including the endangered Cook Inlet belugas.

Every breath sample, skin analysis, health assessment, and research breakthrough brings scientists one step closer to understanding these remarkable animals and ensuring they continue to thrive in the wild for generations to come.