First recorded ice entrapment of a beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) in east Greenland

Abstract

Beluga whales are rare along the coast of east Greenland and the closest recognized stock occurs around Svalbard. Here we report on an ice entrapment of an adult beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) in north-east Greenland. The whale was observed entrapped in the fast ice on 21 April 2023 in Loch Fyne (73°54’N, 21°51’W) during a visual aerial survey for polar bears (Ursus maritimus). The whale was located >100 km from open water (i.e., pack ice) and appeared in poor body condition. A literature review back to the early 1900s failed to produce any other records of beluga whale ice entrapments in east Greenland.

Keywords

• sea ice
• sassat
• white whale
• freeze-up