ENDANGERED WHALES IN CANADIAN WATERS.
BELUGA WHALE
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IDENTICAL STRIP OF 3 FROM UNCUT PRESS SHEET.
Available only from Uncut press Sheet.
Only 1,500 Sheets Issued Worldwide.
Canada 2022
MNH
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Note: * Stock image(s) represent this listing.
** Detailed images (if any) displayed for illustration purpose Only.
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Graceful and intelligent, whales are magnificent marine mammals. This stamp issue celebrates the remarkable beauty and diversity of whales found in Canadian waters. It also raises awareness of the plight of five species – the blue whale, beluga whale, killer whale, northern bottlenose whale and North Atlantic right whale – that have populations assessed as Endangered by the Committee on the Status of Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC).
- At up to 30 metres long, the blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) is the largest animal on Earth. The species faces a fragile future in both its Atlantic and Pacific populations.
- The beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) is well adapted to swimming under ice because it lacks a dorsal fin. It is at risk in the St. Lawrence Estuary, Cumberland Sound and Ungava Bay.
- The killer whale (Orcinus orca) is a highly social animal that lives in family-based pods. This species is seeing a steady decline in its southern resident population in the Northeast Pacific.
- The northern bottlenose whale (Hyperoodon ampullatus) is curious by nature. There are only an estimated 164 remaining on the Scotian Shelf, one of its deep-water habitats in the North Atlantic.
- The North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) is named for once being an easy and profitable target for hunters. It is disappearing so rapidly that it could soon be extinct, with an estimated 350 individuals remaining worldwide.