 As of 2006 , 30 belugas were in Canada and 28 in the United States , and 42 deaths in captivity had been reported up to that time . A single specimen can reportedly fetch up to US $ 100 @,@ 000 ( UK £ 64 @,@ 160 ) on the market . The beluga 's popularity is due to its unique colour and its facial expressions . The latter is possible because while most cetacean " smiles " are fixed , the extra movement afforded by the beluga 's unfused cervical vertebrae allows a greater range of apparent expression . 
