BABY BELUGA UPDATE

Tuvaq - charming staff and visitors alike

The Vancouver Aquarium’s male beluga whale calf is quickly earning a special spot in the hearts of staff and visitors alike, with his boisterous personality. Playful and precocious, Tuvaq was born at 6:40pm on July 20, 2002.  Weighing 55 kg at birth, Tuvaq's weight shot to 125 kg just two months later. Tuvaq will reach full maturity at five to seven years of age, and he's expected to weigh more than 1,400 kilograms.

Did you know? - Tuvaq's Inuktitut name means "sea ice".

Tuvaq has certainly developed an independent personality. He’s started to enjoy some special attention from the marine mammal trainers, who are beginning to interact with him more formally. Tuvaq can be seen following the trainers around the Arctic Canada Habitat, and he has proven he’s just as grown up as the other belugas by trying to steal the show--literally!

Tuvaq has been bobbing out of the water on a regular basis to touch mother Aurora’s target pole. And near the end of the shows when the belugas pop their tails out of the water, guess who’s upstaging the group with a much smaller tail-fluke wave?

Tuvaq has been introduced to fish fillets and he also continues to nurse from mother Aurora. Tuvaq has also turned out to be a very tactile animal, enjoying regular scratches, massages, and tongue rubs from his trainers, just like his father Imaq. Tuvaq is Aurora’s second calf. She gave birth to Qila, another female beluga whale on July 23rd, 1995.

Need help spotting Tuvaq in the Arctic Canada Habitat?

He's easy to find. Look for the smallest (for now) beluga whale. He also remains quite grey in color.

 

For more information about Tuvaq, please contact:

Brenda Jones, Acting Manager, Public Relations, brenda.jones@vanaqua.org

Angela Nielsen, Director, Public Relations, angela.nielsen@vanaqua.org (On maternity leave December 2004 - November 2005)