Belinda the Beluga Bears Spotlight Interview

Accompanied by photographer Zeek, roving rodent reporter Zoey the zoo mouse has dropped by the beluga exhibit to talk with Belinda, one of the zoo’s pod of Delphinapterus leucas. Scuba gear on and aquatic translation device in tow, Zoey and Zeek dive in to learn more about these unusual white whales.

Zoey: Hi, Belinda, it’s nice to meet you.

Belinda: I hope this won’t take too long—my pod is expecting me for dinner.

Zoey: Your pod?

Belinda: Yes … it’s like my family—only we’re not all blood relatives.

Zoey: How many of you are there?

Belinda: There are only four of us.

Zoey: Only?

Belinda: Yeah. Living in a tank and all, there are space limitations. In the wild, our pod would probably have more members—maybe 20 or so.

Zoey: Oh, and do you spend a lot of time together?

Belinda: Well, yeah, as I said before, we live in a tank. Try to keep up, okay?

Zoey: But I mean, do you do things together? Do you enjoy each other’s company?

Belinda: We do almost everything together … eat, play, swim …. The zoo has us do a few of our shows together, too. I’m not big on the spotlight—I’m shy, you see—but it’s easier with my pod around. Like any family we have our disagreements, of course, but most of the time we get along.

Zoey: If you’re so shy, how come you were picked to do the interview?

Belinda: Oh, I drew the short fish.

Zoey: Don’t you mean straw?

Belinda: Why would belugas have straws? No, we drew from a pile of fish. Mine was the smallest. It figures.

Zoey: Well, I’ll try and make this as painless as possible … but to be honest, you really don’t seem that shy.

Zeek: (Whispers) Just a little ornery.

Zoey: (Whispers) Shhh, Zeek! She might hear you!

Belinda: Well I am shy. You’re small, though, so maybe I feel like I’m talking to myself.

Zoey: Ahem, yes, anyway … let’s talk about your coloring. You know, you just don’t expect a whale to be white ... unless you’re Captain Ahab, of course, heh heh.

Belinda: Oh, that’s hilarious. If I had a lobster for every lame Moby Dick joke I've heard, I'd be rich. And we’re not born white. We’re born gray—it takes us about five years to become this color.

Zoey: Oh, I see …

Belinda: And that’s not the only thing that makes us unique, you know. We are the only whales who can move our heads from side to side, which might not seem like that big a deal, but when you’re foraging for food along the bottom of shallow water, it is. We can much more efficiently flush out our prey.

Not that we have to do any foraging here, mind you. Our food is handed to us on a silver platter.

Zoey: So, um, what do you eat?

Belinda: It depends on which zookeeper is serving. I believe tonight it’s squid. I prefer shellfish, but the squid is okay. Once in a while we get yellowfin tuna, and that is to die for.

Swallowing food whole, you’d think it wouldn’t matter what we eat but, believe it or not, you can still taste the difference.

Zoey: Do you like your arrangement here at the zoo?

Belinda: Yeah, living here is okay. I was born in captivity so I don’t really know any other life. At least we don’t have to worry about getting attacked by polar bears or those stupid orcas. Why do humans seem to like them so much? They’re nasty creatures!

Zoey: There seems to be an awful lot of noise coming from your pod …

Belinda: They’re calling me for dinner. And it’s not noise—it’s how we communicate. In fact, some people believe we sound birdlike and refer to us as sea canaries.

Zoey: Oh, sorry, didn’t mean to offend. Before you rush off, think we could get a picture?

Belinda: Yes, I suppose, but please, make it fast.