The two Belugas, Little Grey and Little White are destined for an ocean sanctuary, where they will live after years of being captive whales.
They have not been in the open sea since 2011, when they were captured. Relocation is courtesy of the ?Leviathan Relocation Project organized for several years. The transfer of the two whales is the culmination in 2020, reported CNN.
Little Grey and Little White are the whale captives for the longest time. Creatures like Belugas need the open sea, especially when aquariums are restrictive, which may affect their well-being.
Both were young when captured off the Russian Coast and were later spending time as the main attraction in a Chinese aquarium. Compared to the restrictive enclosure where the pair used to stay in, the 8-acre wide sanctuary is located at Klettsvik Bay in Iceland.
According to Audrey Padgett, the Beluga Whale Sanctuary's general manager, who was interviewed in front of the Belugas by CNN, she recounted all that has been done from start to the end, until the whales reached the sanctuary.
Freedom is owed way back 2011, when both cetaceans were transferred from a Russian research facility to Changfeng Ocean World aquarium in Shanghai, China. In 2012, the aquarium was taken over by Merlin Entertainments which does not keep any cetacean in captivity as company policy.
Little Grey and Little White were bouncing around, which is sometimes not healthy for whales in captivity.
New Home for the Whales
The new sanctuary and home for the belugas will be operated by Sea Life Trust charity, a trust that provides a larger, more natural environment that have benefits over traditional aquariums, added Padgett.
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She also said that 300 Belugas are in captive states in various places around the globe. Getting them will benefit many like the two whales that are staying at the sanctuary, cited KTLA 5.
Many of the captive whales are kept in substandard conditions that are not acceptable. Learning from Little White and Little Gray, better conditions are needed for these captive whales. Getting these Belugas free is one thing to do to help them get a better life.
The most difficult part of the journey is the transfers of the whales from China. The immense logistics in planning to bring the whales safe and sound is not the easiest task. Little Grey and Little White may not be so big as other whales, but they weigh about a ton, with a consumption of 220 pounds of fish a day. They eat a lot for such small-sized whales.
Getting them to their new home
Specialist equipment is used to move the one-ton whales about. Many veterinarians and a lot of water and ice were used to keep them hydrated, added Padgett.
They also used stretchers and slings to transport the two whales while moving them overland, with the team getting it down to move the animals safely from point to point, she noted. Another is keeping the belugas calm and comfortable while traveling.
When the two Belugas arrived in Iceland, they had to get acclimatized to the colder weather for a number of months, confirmed MEAWW.
Concerns were tantamount when the time came to move Little Grey and Little White to their final home. This became more complicated due to the pandemic. The two Belugas have to acclimatize further but they are where they should.
