Oceans 4Ever

They’re nicknamed “Sea Canaries,” and they live in waters so cold, it’s amazing that anything can survive.

Their name is Russian for “white one.”

We’ve seen members of their species up-close in captivity, where they splashed and seemingly posed, smiling from the water, for Alexa’s camera.

These are the Beluga whales of Cook Inlet, Alaska, and in this, their natural habitat, they were added to the endangered species list last October.

Are the Belugas being threatened by climate change like species everywhere are, or are they themselves an indicator of climate change that’s happening now?

Dr. Tracy Romano, senior vice president of research and zoological operations at Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration, is working to find answers to these questions through research highlighted in “Sea Ghosts”, part of the Jean-Michel Cousteau: Ocean Adventures series, which airs tomorrow night at 8 p.m. eastern on PBS (check your local listings).

Tune in or set your DVR. Here’s a sneak-peek:

So, just how big is a newborn baby of the biggest animal on earth? Thanks to National Geographic, you can see for yourself, and get a good look at the first newborn blue whale calf ever caught on film this Sunday night, March 8th, at 8 p.m. (eastern).

For its documentary Kingdom of the Blue Whale, a team of top blue whale researchers traveled to an area west of Costa Rica called “the Dome” which attracts blue whales from hundreds of miles away who are seeking warmer waters in winter. On this January, 2008 trip, these scientists dared only to hope that they’d find the ultimate reward in their line of work: seeing a baby blue whale with their own eyes.

Rocket along the water with these scientists and see if you catch your breath when you first spot both spouts. Catch it this Sunday night – and check out the NG blog’s interview with blue whale scientist Bruce Mate, Director of the Marine Mammal Institute at Oregon State University, for his tale on seeing that “tiny” tail.

Do you think this sighting will be the first of many blue whale calf sightings to come, now that their breeding grounds have been found?