China recently banned the use of wild animals in all circus shows and amusement park settings. This is a massive win! Now, all the animals that have been held in captivity, are slowly being released and freed.
Two beluga whales rescued from a lifetime of captivity in China have been set free!
The pair took their very first swim in open waters at their new home in Iceland.
Little White and Little Grey, were rescued and freed from an aquarium in Shanghai, China, where they had been forced to perform as show animals for the last decade.
Scientists call their species the “most intelligent creatures of not only the ocean but the entire animal kingdom.”, with this said, it is clear that the pair of whales most certainly understood that they have been held captive and relative to that thought — they also know that they are now FREE!
Last month, Sea Life Trust shipped Little White and Little Grey 6,000 miles to their new home in Iceland, where they will swim in the open ocean once again.
Little Grey and Little White had to be put into specially designed slings that helped protect their bodies in a lorry, then an aircraft, and finally a harbor tugboat.
Last month, Sea Life Trust said in a statement:
“Little Grey and Little White are now in their bayside care pool and will need a short period of time to acclimatize to their new natural environment and all the outdoor elements before their final release into the wider sanctuary in Klettsvik Bay in the Westman Islands off the south coast of Iceland.”
Little Grey and Little White are the first two captive #beluga whales to move to an open water sanctuary 🐳
The whales have been moved as part of an experiment to acclimatise sea mammals back into the wild ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/ozbf4doxpM— Richard Frediani (@BBCFrediani) August 10, 2020
The duo arrived in great health. The statement continued:
“The expert team and the independent vets were with Little Grey and Little White throughout the move and said they are healthy and are feeding after the short trip from their landside care facility back to the sea.”
Little White and Little Grey are being fed gelatin here 🍽
It is a supplement given alongside their usual diet, that helps with hydration! pic.twitter.com/Z2BYDJ1nHq
— Beluga Whale Sanctuary (@BelugaSanctuary) September 23, 2020
For the last month, Little White and Little Grey have been residing in bayside care pools as they are slowly introduced and rehabilitated to their new environment.
It won’t be long until these two are cruising the open waters, completely free!