Beluga whales arrive in Iceland
LITTLE Gray and Little White, the two beluga whales who recently left their home in Changfeng Ocean World in Putuo District, have safely touched down in Iceland.
Following their 6,000-mile flight, the two 13-year-old female belugas will now make the final stages of their journey by truck and ferry to the world’s only open-water sanctuary for beluga whales.
Aboard a Cargolux Airlines flight, Little Gray and Little White arrived at Iceland’s Keflavik International Airport on Wednesday afternoon, Icelandic time, in good health, safely and comfortably after their 12-hour flight.
A team of vets with experience in transporting marine mammals was on board but everything went smoothly. The whales, currently weighing about 900 kilograms each, have a strong appetite for herring — which was an essential airplane snack for the not-so-frequent flyers.
The 747-400ERF freighter was welcomed onto the tarmac with a ceremonial water salute from two fire trucks in celebration of the safe arrival of Iceland’s newest residents.
The whales will now continue on to their new home, a sanctuary in a natural bay at Heimaey, one of the Westman Islands off the southern coast of Iceland.
“We’re absolutely delighted Little Gray and Little White have safely touched down in Iceland,” said Andy Bool, head of wildlife fund Sea Life Trust.
“This is a complex but inspiring project and we’ve been working with the whales for months helping to prepare them for traveling to their new home.
“We’ll continue to carefully monitor the whales but we’re pleased with their overall progress and welfare checks, which have been taking place throughout the relocation.”
Due to bad weather in April, the relocation had to be rescheduled for June.
Two lorries will now carry Little Gray and Little White to a ferry. Once they arrive in Heimaey, they will spend at least 40 days in quarantine before moving to their new home in the secluded bay this summer.
Created in partnership with wildlife charity Whale and Dolphin Conservation, the Sea Life Trust Beluga Whale Sanctuary is one of the biggest developments in captive whale and dolphin care and protection in decades and the first for the beluga.
The bay, which measures approximately 32,000 square meters, with a depth of up to 10 meters, provides a more natural sub-Arctic environment and wilder habitat for the whales to call home.
Originally from Russian Arctic waters, the pair were thought to be 2 or 3 years old when captured. Belugas typically live for 40 to 60 years.
Around 3,000 whales, dolphins and porpoises are held in tanks globally, according to Whale and Dolphin Conservation.