The melon is an organ filled with fat and oil, which serves as a lens for better communication and echolocation in beluga whales. Belugas can manipulate the shape of their melon at will, allowing them to direct sound waves and change the frequency of their vocalizations. This unique ability has earned them the nickname “canaries of the sea” due to their wide range of vocalizations, including whistles, chirps, squeals, and clicks.
Researchers at the Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut have documented at least five distinct melon shapes made by captive belugas, including flat, lift, press, push, and shake. These shapes are produced by manipulating the melon using muscles and connective tissue, and they occur at an average rate of nearly two shapes per minute during social interactions. While the exact meanings of these shapes are not yet fully understood, they appear to serve as purposeful signals or communications, with 93% of the shapes occurring within another beluga’s line of sight.
