Whale still spout and about

That beluga whale can’t seem to make up his mind. After he spent a week last month in the Delaware River, marine officials thought the wayward white whale, dubbed Helis, was making his way out to sea. But he was spotted in the area again last week – first in the Schuylkill River and later back in the Delaware.

Lt. Andrew Napoli, of the Philadelphia Police Department’s Marine Unit, said the 12-foot-long beluga seems to be moving fine.

But the whale, discovered by Canadian wildlife officials near the St. Lawrence River back in 1986, has swum far away from home. And after spending a few days in the Schuylkill, he returned to the Delaware River.

"As of Sunday, he was near Penn’s Landing in the Delaware River," Napoli said.

To learn how to best deal with the traveling beluga, the Marine Unit has been working with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Aquarium in Baltimore.

"They are more familiar with the whale’s lifestyle and movement just in case we need help rescuing him," Napoli said.

The last time a whale was spotted in this area was more than a decade ago, the lieutenant noted.

When Helis was first spotted near the St. Lawrence River in the ’80s, he was considered an adult. NOAA has been tracking his movement mainly from sightings reported to the Coast Guard and other local authorities. Belugas normally live 25 to 30 years, and authorities estimate Helis is 27 to 30 years old.

And according to Teri Frady, a NOAA fisheries spokesperson, belugas are known to do this sort of thing.

"It’s not unusual for belugas to go upriver chasing fish," Frady said. "As long as nothing happens to him, he can spend some time in fresh water."

She also noted that some parts of the Delaware River are salty.

Since Helis has been staying around, the fish in these rivers must be pretty tasty.

"He’s been going back and forth, making his way north and then coming back," Napoli added. "He’s feeding in this area and following the fish."

A scarred fin has identified the beluga, and experts believe the scar was caused by a boat propeller. The name Helis is derived from the French word helice, or propeller. Although the beluga is considered elderly for his kind, marine officials have been trying to monitor his well-being as best as they can.

"We’ve never really had a good assessment of his overall health," Frady said.