There are places on this planet where it’s a marvel that anything survives. In the cold Arctic waters of the far north, the sea is alive with sound. The canaries of the sea are singing. They're beluga whales, named from the Russian word for "white ones." They're an evolutionary surprise - a warm-blooded mammal in a numbingly cold sea. Resembling curious ghosts, these intelligent mammals use one of the most complex sonars of any animal.
Jean-Michel and Céline Cousteau observe beluga behavior in the distance; Anchorage, Alaska.In this episode, Jean-Michel Cousteau travels with his son and daughter, Fabien and Celine, and team to the high Arctic to discover why some beluga groups are thriving and others are disappearing. The revelation is the clear connection between human activity and the belugas' future. The surprise is that what is occurring with belugas may foreshadow similar health concerns for people. The inspiration is that with knowledge comes change and Jean-Michel Cousteau and team find reason for hope embodied in this intriguing, little known and elusive white whale.
Sea Ghosts, Wednesday at 8 p.m. on PBS-HD 6.
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