Two Belugas To Join First-Ever Open-Water Whale Sanctuary
Courtesy Sea Life Trust"There's an arctic environment here and there's a nice, secluded bay on our island," says Audrey Padgett, general manager of the sanctuary.
Two beluga whales who spent 11 years in captivity will be moved to the world’s first open-water whale sanctuary next month.
Little Grey and Little White, who once performed for crowds at a Chinese aquarium, will be introduced to their new home in Sea Life Trust Beluga Whale Sanctuary on June 19.
The sanctuary is located in Klettsvik Bay on the island of Heimaey, which is about eight miles off Iceland’s southern coast. It measures 30 feet deep and 344,455 square feet wide, which is about the size of six football fields. Beluga whales are able to dive more than 2,000 feet, but most of their lives are spent in less than 60 feet of seawater.
"There's an arctic environment here and there's a nice, secluded bay on our island," Audrey Padgett, general manager of the sanctuary, tells California’s CBS 8. "It’s enclosed in netting for the beluga so they have a contained, but natural environment."
Courtesy Sea Life TrustIn June, Little Grey and Little White embarked on a 6,000-mile journey from China to Iceland.
When they were babies, the now-12-year-old female belugas were taken from their home waters near Russia to Shanghai's Changfeng Ocean World to perform in marine mammal shows. Sea Life Trust has been planning their journey to Iceland for seven years.
In June 2019, Little Grey and Little White embarked on a 6,000-mile journey from China to Iceland. They were transported by truck from Chengfeng Ocean World to an airport in Shanghai, flew by plane to Keflavik, were placed in another truck to be brought to a ferry terminal, and rode a ferry to their final destination on Heimaey Island.
For the past year, they’ve been at a land-based sanctuary facility being monitored by experts and veterinarians while acclimatizing to Iceland’s frigid waters, which will be much colder than the tanks they became accustomed to in China. The whales are currently around 13 feet long and weigh about 2,000 pounds each, which is about typical for female belugas. But they’ve been given extra food to help them bulk up for the cold.
Courtesy Sea Life Trust"It’s enclosed in netting for the beluga so they have a contained, but natural environment." - Audrey Padgett
They have also been introduced to some of the flora and fauna they will experience in their open-ocean habitat. According to the sanctuary, Little Grey is curious, very playful and a bit mischievous, while Little White is more shy and reserved but still likes playing with her caretakers.
Although the whales won’t make their big splash until June, the sanctuary’s visitor center aquarium and puffin sanctuary have been open to the public since last spring. Going forward, from August 1 to October 1 each year, visitors will be taken out by boat to see the belugas in their new habitat. Tickets will start around $50.
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