Belugas, also known as white whales, are extremely sociable mammals. With their flexible, bulbous forehead that changes shape, these adorable whales are able to make different facial expressions that sometimes can look extremely similar to human ones.

Mystic Aquarium is one of the few places where visitors can not only observe but also touch and interact with these gentle giants. The encounters with this unique species are so remarkable that they often go viral on the internet.

More info: Good Morning America

Mystic Aquarium is home to over 300 species of marine mammals, yet belugas seem to be the most adorable of them all

Image credits: Mystic Aquarium

Image credits: Mystic Aquarium

Image credits: Mystic Aquarium

Mystic Aquarium first opened its doors back in 1973 as a privately owned corporation and now works as a nonprofit organization with a nice mission to inspire people to care for and protect our ocean planet through conservation, education and research.

The aquarium is known as the only one in the United States that has Steller sea lions and the only aquarium in New England to have beluga whales, who usually steal all the attention. The most famous of them all is probably a beluga named Juno, who likes to smile at kids and play ‘peek-a-boo’.

“He’s really just playing with them. The kids getting his reaction is really what’s spurring him on to keep doing it,” explained Dr. Tracy Romano, who is the chief marine biologist at Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut. “This behavior was not trained in Juno … Belugas as a species are very social and playful animals.”

Image credits: Mystic Aquarium

At the time, this playful video with Juno immediately went viral and has been watched 4.3 million times.

In another more recently shared TikTok clip, people can see how a little kid shouted to the beluga and was stunned by the reply.

On Mystic Aquarium’s social media, people can also find dozens of beautiful photos where belugas bring so much joy not only to visitors, but also to those who take care of them day to day.

“I love these animals that I work with,” aquarist Kristine Magao shared. “You form a relationship with them.”

Being extremely sociable mammals, beluga whales love to smile at visitors and play with kids

Image credits: Mystic Aquarium

Image credits: Mystic Aquarium

Image credits: Mystic Aquarium

Image credits: Mystic Aquarium

There are about 150,000 – 200,000 beluga whales in the world. Ranging from 13 to 20 feet in length, they are one of the smallest species of whales. Usually calling the Arctic Ocean their home, the mammals can also be found in large rivers such as the Amur River of Russia or the Yukon and St. Lawrence rivers of Canada.

Their beautiful snow white color makes them easily distinguishable, yet, interestingly enough, calves are born gray or even brown and only get their white color around five years of age.

Beluga whales were nicknamed ‘sea canaries’ because of their vocalization capabilities. Besides their casual language, which includes various clicks, whistles, and clangs, these adorable whales can also mimic a variety of other sounds. You can check out some of the incredible recordings from BBC Earth here.

Another interesting fact is that beluga whales have impressively huge brains, weighing around 2041 grams (4.5 lbs), which have a highly developed limbic system, allowing them to experience a wide range of emotions and use emotional information to guide their social interaction.

Being quite slow swimmers, at 2-6 mph (3 to 9 km/h) with rare short bursts of speed up to 14 mph (22 km/h), these white mammals are also able to swim backwards, similar to dolphins, and unlike other whales, belugas can turn their hands from side to side.

Image credits: Mystic Aquarium

Image credits: Mystic Aquarium

Image credits: Mystic Aquarium

According to scientists, whales, due to their complex communication and advanced problem-solving, are considered among the most intelligent animal species in the world.

Therefore, as adorable as beluga whales appear in Mystic Aquarium visitors’ videos, their capacity for intelligence may be as vast as the ocean itself.

People on the internet shared their memories about unforgettable encounters with these special animals

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