Our day with Miki!

To celebrate our son's birthday we decided to treat him to a magical experience at the amazing Shedd Aquarium, home to a wonderful group of Beluga Whales. We kept the encounter a secret until we pulled up to the building and he thought we were just going for a visit to the aquarium. I am sure you can imagine the sheer excitement when we told him that he would shortly be in the water with whales!

    We were treated so kindly from the moment we arrived  by the staff at the aquarium and our trainer Eric was fun, well-informed and cautious (three essential traits you want a trainer to have when you are getting in a large tank of water with huge ocean animals).

First, we had to put on heavy and thick wet-suit wader type outfits with attached boots up to our chests. We called them snowsuits for the sea! This was to protect us from the cold water which they keep at a balmy 55 degrees. These are Arctic mammals who are used to very cold temps.

We then had to wash our hands and remove any jewelry (even earrings). We were previously instructed to remove all nail polish before arriving. Eric then briefed us on what our 45-60 minutes in the water with the whales would be like, what safety precautions we needed to take, but most interestingly, he told us about the personalities and backgrounds of the whales at the aquarium.


Then we moved into the private training area and climbed down the ladder onto a shallow ledge and waited for the gates to open under water and the whales to enter. The three "pools" at the aquarium are between 16 and 31 ft. deep. When you are standing on that ledge you are really mindful of your steps!

The one thing you are immediately taken with is the sheer size and power of these whales. We worked with Miki who is still a "toddler" at 900+ pounds and over 9ft. long. We were taken in by his gentle eyes and playful personality.

 We learned that whales and dolphins do not relate or respond to human sound. All communicating is done through hand gestures and high pitched whistle sounds. Sea lions, on the other hand, because they are related to dogs, do follow human commands through verbalization. We had to be mindful of any hand gestures we made due to those instructions.

 We rubbed Miki's melon shaped head and it moved like jello which was surprising. We put our hands deep into his mouth and rubbed the back of his tongue which is to whales like petting is to a dog. We also fed Miki fresh fish and squid and played cognitive games using different shapes under the water.

When it was time to go Miki gave us each a kiss goodbye!

I must admit this was a very special experience. There are only a few places in the world where you can get this close to whales and I can tell you I was completely mesmerized! I cannot recommend it highly enough! The only thing to note is that to participate you must be over 5 ft. tall (and they check!)

Beluga Whales
A beluga’s mouth is permanently upturned like a smile. It’s easy to connect with these sociable whales as they glide by in their Abbott Oceanarium pool: They might turn a curious gaze your way, crinkle their melons (foreheads) and whistle—or even spit a stream of water! The fact that these interactions are natural behaviors only makes the experience more fun.
Often called “canaries of the sea,” beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) broadcast squeals, trills, chirps and other sounds through their blowholes. Shedd Aquarium’s whales can even mimic the raspy, Darth Vader-like breathing sounds of the scuba divers who clean their habitat. These vocalizations can be communications between animals. They might also be used to echolocate, or interpret the sound waves that bounce back to discern what food or obstacles are ahead. Echolocation is especially useful for navigating dark waters and finding breathing holes in ice.
Belugas live in the frigid waters near the Arctic Circle. Two layers of blubber pad their stocky, cigar-shaped bodies to keep them warm. Even though adults can grow to 18 feet and weigh up to 3,300 pounds, their skin color, which is slate gray at birth and gradually becomes creamy white, invisibly blends them into their icy background.

Naturally sociable, belugas often chase or rub against one another.  They travel in pods of three to 10 whales. Calves imitate adults to learn life skills. One trait that raises the bar in their survival is a flexible neck. A beluga can turn and nod its head to find prey, including herring, octopus, squid, clams and crabs—up to 80 pounds of food a day. It will also spit a stream of water to uncover food on the sandy sea floor—or to surprise an aquarium guest! (Merci': Shedd Aquarium.com)