News Animals

Belugas may communicate by warping a blob of forehead fat

Whales in captivity can mold their “melon” into at least five different shapes

A beluga whale looks toward the camera, its forehead bulging out prominently

Beluga whales like this one at Connecticut’s Mystic Aquarium sport a blob of forehead fat called a “melon.” The cetaceans contort the melon into different shapes, possibly to communicate with each other.

Paul Souders/Getty Images

By Elizabeth Anne Brown

The beluga whale wears its heart on its sleeve — or rather, its forehead.

Read this story for free

Enter your email address for continued access to Science News

By continuing, you acknowledge that you are at least 13 years of age and agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.  Under 13?  Check out Science News Explores.

 

OR
Use up and down arrow keys to explore.Use right arrow key to move into the list.Use left arrow key to move back to the parent list.Use tab key to enter the current list item.Use escape to exit the menu.Use the Shift key with the Tab key to tab back to the search input.