There are places on this planet where it's a marvel that anything survives. But in the 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.

Belugas inhabiting Cook Inlet, close to Anchorage, Alaska, were added to the endangered species list in October 2008. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) stated that a decade-long recovery program had failed to ensure the whales' survival. The relationship between people and belugas is ancient. For more than 4,000 years, hunters of the Far North have depended on these whales for their own survival in a land with little else to offer. These traditional cultures have now partnered with scientists and modern technology to protect the beluga, which, in turn, ensures their own future. Yet these efforts are only a small part of the story, as new discoveries have raised troubling questions about the health of belugas and their long-term survival.

Their world is now ground zero for climate change, but what threatens them is not confined to the Arctic, it's global. What lies ahead for the beluga could become prophesy for many species everywhere, including our own.

• NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service Alaska Regional Office Cook Inlet website provides detailed information about the protection established on October 18, 2008, for Cook Inlet belugas, under the Endangered Species Act. (at fakr.noaa.gov)
• GREMM, the group for research and education on marine mammals, is dedicated to scientific research on beluga and other whales that live in Canada's St. Lawrence River estuary ecosystem. (at whales-online.net)
• Defenders of Wildlife is a nonprofit member organization that has worked to gain protection for Alaska's Cook Inlet beluga whales under the Endangered Species Act. The site includes beluga facts and protection efforts. (at defenders.org)