sea canary

American  

noun

1. beluga.

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Etymology

Origin of sea canary

First recorded in 1875–80; so called from the whistling sound made by this whale

Example Sentences

It is a gregarious, pure white Arctic dweller that emits strange, high-pitched twitters that have given it its nickname: the sea canary.

From The Guardian

Sometimes the beluga makes a noise like the half suppressed lowing of oxen and, since the aquatic world is so silent, sailors have christened the beluga, for this slender achievement, the "sea canary."

From Project Gutenberg