बेलुगा (en. Beluga)

Hartmann Reederei, the German ship-management company, has confirmed that two of its vessels - the 36,000 m3LEG (liquefied ethylene gas) carriers ‘Gaschem Beluga’ and ‘Gaschem Orca’ - powered by the world’s first ME-GIE (-Gas Injection Ethane) two-stroke engines have collectively accumulated 10,000 hours of operations since entering operation at the end of 2017.

It’s a great place to spot pink flamingos, pelicans, spoonbills and ibis, and the river delta hosts the endangered Russian beluga sturgeon, sought after for its caviar eggs.

In 1924, Russian fishermen caught a beluga female weighing 1224 kg in the Caspian Sea, near the Biryuchy Spit.

The Gaschem Beluga, which along with its sister ship - the Gaschem Orca - has successfully amassed 10,000 running hours on ethane (Photo: Man Diesel & Turbo).

While beluga were once recorded as being as long as 24 feet, with increased fishing they now generally grow to no more than 11 feet long.

In 1971 the Montreal Zoological Society commenced the first commercial whale watching activity on the eastern side of North America, offering trips in the St. Lawrence River to view Fin and Beluga Whales.

In 1971 the Montreal Zoological Society commenced the first commercial whale watching activity on the eastern side of North America, offering trips in the St. Lawrence River to view Fin and Beluga Whales.