Belugas are highly social, vocal Arctic cetaceans facing threats from climate change, industrial noise, and the contested practice of live capture for aquarium display.
Beluga welfare in both wild and captive settings raises significant concerns. Wild belugas face noise pollution from shipping, oil and gas exploration, and military sonar that interferes with their complex vocal communication. Climate change is disrupting prey availability and habitat. Captive belugas in aquariums and marine parks experience profound behavioral restrictions compared to their natural ranging and social behavior — wild belugas may travel over 1,000 km seasonally in pods of dozens to hundreds of animals. Aquarium pools cannot replicate this social complexity or movement. Stereotypic behaviors in captive belugas indicate chronic welfare compromise. Opposition to new beluga captures has grown significantly, with several importing countries refusing permits for Russian-sourced captured belugas.