A whale of a time at Changfeng Ocean World
By Li Anlan |
June 15, 2013, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
BELUGA whales, a relatively small, pure-white arctic species, are known as "sea canaries" because of the high-pitched squeaks and whistles they make to communicate and navigate.
Belugas are among the whales most commonly kept in marine parks. Belugas in China are mostly from Russia.
The species is highly intelligent, curious and playful.
Changfeng Ocean World in Putuo District has three beluga whales. The oldest is Junjun, a 15-year-old female, which has lived at the park for 10 years. Her trainer for the past three years is Wang Zhangzhen. The other two whales are 2 and 3 years old.
"I learned scuba diving after graduating from college and wanted to find a related job," Wang said. He started with the simplest tasks and learned how to feed the sea mammals.
The Beluga Theater is a separate pavilion where people can watch daily shows by beluga whales and California sea lions at 10:30anm, 1:30pm and 3:30pm.
Last March, Changfeng Ocean World was purchased by Merlin Entertainment and became part of its Sea Life brand. Merlin Entertainment is a British parks and attractions operator, the world's largest after Disney.
This summer, the Beluga Theater launches new programs.
Every day, trainers and keepers of whales and sea lions start the day at 8am, doing cleaning, feeding and other chores. After a meeting they begin the morning training to prepare for the first show.
Trainers and keepers themselves have training sessions, helping them to learn more about the animals.
Beluga whales eat a daily diet of fish, such as herring and shishamo imported from Norway. Junjun eats around 17 kilograms of fish a day. The two smaller whales eat around 13 kilos each.
The amount of fish they eat every day is fixed; any changes must be approved by veterinarians and supervisors. Trainers pay close attention to the whales' physical condition and health, closely observing their behavior during training and performance. If something isn't right, veterinarians are immediately notified. The whales and sea lions get regular physical check-ups.
The show opens with tricks by the sea lions, which are also intelligent and friendly. They wave their fore flippers in the air to welcome the audience, mostly children and their parents.
Then, following instruction from three trainers, the beluga whales swim in the pool from both sides. They swim around and jump out of the water at the commands of their trainers.
The host of the shows describes the belugas and their behavior.
"Some tourists mistake beluga whales for dolphins, so we explain the differences. Dolphins swim faster, for example, both belugas and dolphins seem to 'smile'," Wang said.
Beluga whales are intelligent, playful and can get close to people without being afraid. They also have good and bad days, when they occasionally don't feel like performing.
"When the two younger whales first arrived, Junjun was very excited and a bit 'out of control,' just like a person meeting new friends," Wang said. "The three of them get along very well now."
Now the show places additional emphasis on educating people about belugas, how they swim, socialize, how they vocalize and what the sounds mean.
"Beluga whales are good-natured, so it's very pleasant to hang out with them every day," said Wang.
Penguins, sharks and rays
Changfeng Ocean World also showcases many other interesting ocean animals, including birds and fish.
Penguins
Black-footed penguins are a crowd-pleaser. These agile birds do not live on ice, but in the cold water along the South African coast.
Sand tiger sharks
Also known as sand sharks and gray nurse sharks, these sharks are large and ferocious looking, with lots of teeth, but they are not aggressive. They hunt mostly fish and squid and are found near shores, hence the name sand shark.
Spotted eagle ray
These graceful sting rays have big, dark wings covered with white spots or rings. They propel themselves by moving their wings. They live in the tropics.
Golden trevally
These large striped fish, sometimes called golden king fish, typically swim in the blind spot of sharks for protection, and to eat scraps left by the big predator.
Belugas are among the whales most commonly kept in marine parks. Belugas in China are mostly from Russia.
The species is highly intelligent, curious and playful.
Changfeng Ocean World in Putuo District has three beluga whales. The oldest is Junjun, a 15-year-old female, which has lived at the park for 10 years. Her trainer for the past three years is Wang Zhangzhen. The other two whales are 2 and 3 years old.
"I learned scuba diving after graduating from college and wanted to find a related job," Wang said. He started with the simplest tasks and learned how to feed the sea mammals.
The Beluga Theater is a separate pavilion where people can watch daily shows by beluga whales and California sea lions at 10:30anm, 1:30pm and 3:30pm.
Last March, Changfeng Ocean World was purchased by Merlin Entertainment and became part of its Sea Life brand. Merlin Entertainment is a British parks and attractions operator, the world's largest after Disney.
This summer, the Beluga Theater launches new programs.
Every day, trainers and keepers of whales and sea lions start the day at 8am, doing cleaning, feeding and other chores. After a meeting they begin the morning training to prepare for the first show.
Trainers and keepers themselves have training sessions, helping them to learn more about the animals.
Beluga whales eat a daily diet of fish, such as herring and shishamo imported from Norway. Junjun eats around 17 kilograms of fish a day. The two smaller whales eat around 13 kilos each.
The amount of fish they eat every day is fixed; any changes must be approved by veterinarians and supervisors. Trainers pay close attention to the whales' physical condition and health, closely observing their behavior during training and performance. If something isn't right, veterinarians are immediately notified. The whales and sea lions get regular physical check-ups.
The show opens with tricks by the sea lions, which are also intelligent and friendly. They wave their fore flippers in the air to welcome the audience, mostly children and their parents.
Then, following instruction from three trainers, the beluga whales swim in the pool from both sides. They swim around and jump out of the water at the commands of their trainers.
The host of the shows describes the belugas and their behavior.
"Some tourists mistake beluga whales for dolphins, so we explain the differences. Dolphins swim faster, for example, both belugas and dolphins seem to 'smile'," Wang said.
Beluga whales are intelligent, playful and can get close to people without being afraid. They also have good and bad days, when they occasionally don't feel like performing.
"When the two younger whales first arrived, Junjun was very excited and a bit 'out of control,' just like a person meeting new friends," Wang said. "The three of them get along very well now."
Now the show places additional emphasis on educating people about belugas, how they swim, socialize, how they vocalize and what the sounds mean.
"Beluga whales are good-natured, so it's very pleasant to hang out with them every day," said Wang.
Penguins, sharks and rays
Changfeng Ocean World also showcases many other interesting ocean animals, including birds and fish.
Penguins
Black-footed penguins are a crowd-pleaser. These agile birds do not live on ice, but in the cold water along the South African coast.
Sand tiger sharks
Also known as sand sharks and gray nurse sharks, these sharks are large and ferocious looking, with lots of teeth, but they are not aggressive. They hunt mostly fish and squid and are found near shores, hence the name sand shark.
Spotted eagle ray
These graceful sting rays have big, dark wings covered with white spots or rings. They propel themselves by moving their wings. They live in the tropics.
Golden trevally
These large striped fish, sometimes called golden king fish, typically swim in the blind spot of sharks for protection, and to eat scraps left by the big predator.
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