A SIEE research team resumed the observation of beluga colonies in the White Sea which was started in 2009, trying to gauge their numerical strength and track their seasonal migratory patterns. The expedition relied primarily upon aerial surveillance of marine life in the White Sea and adjacent gulfs.

Researchers were able to observe beluga whales and Greenland seals from a specially equipped laboratory jet.  The skies were clear and sunny throughout the three-day flight, which made it possible to waste no time in capturing valuable images of the animals. 

On March 17 and 19, an aerial survey was conducted over water with little or no ice cover.  Surveying tracks were positioned all across the Dvina Gulf, as well as the northern part of the Onega Gulf and the central part of the White Sea.

A total of 147 belugas were spotted as a result of the surveying effort.

All the belugas that were sighted this time around kept to the areas where they had been seen last March.

They are particularly numerous in the Dvina Gulf, opposite the Una Bay. There are also several groups near the Solovki Islands and in the central part of the White Sea. Belugas in these areas can be found amidst ice packs – ice holes and clefts – as well as in large expanses of open water.

Several belugas were sighted in areas where they had been monitored by tracking devices that were attached to a number of specimens in November 2010. According to satellite monitoring reports, five belugas wearing such devices had been migrating across the White Sea, but did not leave the area.

The White Sea shed its ice cover in late February, when a blistering southern wind swept much of the ice into the Barents Sea.

Aerial surveillance of Greenland seal colonies in the White Sea was conducted on March 18. The photo session took place with the new mating season already underway. Colonies with newly born baby seals and pups just a few weeks old were photographed in an effort to estimate their numbers.

All the material gathered during the expedition, including photos and video images of belugas and Greenland seals, will be processed to assess the current numerical strength of beluga and seal pup colonies in the White Sea during winter. The results of the processing are to be published in scientific journals.

Fieldwork on the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Beluga programme will be resumed later this year in summer and autumn.