A Baby Beluga Story

How much does a beluga whale grow in one year? The answer is A LOT! Remember when Georgia Aquarium announced the birth of a beluga whale calf? Well, that calf has a name and she's just turned 1 year old. Catch up with Shila on her birthday and find out how much she eats a day (spoiler: it's not cake)!

You can relive her amazing birth story and stream THE AQUARIUM, only on discovery+.

May 17, 2021

By: Georgia Aquarium

It's a girl! Shila was born at the Georgia Aquarium on May 17, 2020. She was born to 20-year-old mother, named Whisper.

Shila weighed 174 lbs at birth and was about five feet four inches in length.

One year later, Shila currently weighs 719.5 lbs and she is 8 feet and 3 inches long. Adult female beluga whales can be up to 13 feet and weigh almost 3,000 lbs!

Shila is eating about 4 to 5 lbs of solid food per day, in addition to nursing from Whisper. Beluga whales have a varied diet, which can consist of octopus, squid, crabs, shrimp, clams, snails, and they also eat a variety of fishes.

Shila continues to learn new behaviors, notably from mimicking other whales.

Also known as "sea canaries," belugas are one of the most the most vocal of all whales.

Shila is very playful with a variety of enrichment and spends a lot of time refining her water play and bubble play skills.