When beluga whales want to communicate with each other, they just use the ol’ melon—a blubber-filled structure on their forehead. Researchers have found that the whales intentionally change the shape of the melon. That may convey different emotions or intentions—whether they want to play, mate, or just hang out.
Belugas live in and around the Arctic Ocean. They have a thick layer of blubber to protect them from the cold. And they don’t have a fin on their back, which allows them to easily glide below the ice.
It’s harder to imagine a more hostile environment on Earth than the ocean’s hadal zone. Named after Hades, the Greek god of the Underworld, the hadal zone is the deepest part of the ocean, located about 3.7 to 6.8 miles below sea level in marine trenches. Not only is it pitch black, but the organisms living there must withstand intense pressure, which also makes it challenging for researchers to explore. It’s no wonder that scientists know so little about the creatures that manage to survive in these conditions.
