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June 19, 2019

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Whale of a time: Belugas set to depart for new home in Iceland

It will be a freedom of sorts for two much-loved beluga whales in Shanghai, who will depart on a long journey at daybreak today and travel all the way to their new home in Iceland.

Xiao Bai and Xiao Hui, Little White and Little Gray, both 13 years old, who have been in Shanghai since 2010, are scheduled to take a flight at 5:30am today from Pudong International Airport and head for their new home in Iceland at the Sea Life Trust Beluga Whale Sanctuary, the world’s first open-water sanctuary for beluga, which aims to encourage the rehabilitation of captive whales into their natural environment.

The trip will take 11 hours, and the aircraft is scheduled to land in Iceland at 9am local time, according to Claude Zehren, executive vice president of flight operations of Luxembourg’s Cargolux Airlines, the flight operator.

Accompanied by veterinarians, the duo will take a special Boeing 747, adorned with their photos and names. Their trainers, who have looked after them for years, will fly with them.

Apart from the three pilots, two veterinarians, two trainers and an engineer will also be on the plane.

By air, land and sea, the two whales, both 3.9 meters long, will go on a 9,000-kilometer, 30-hour-plus journey to a bay in Heimaey, one of the Westman Islands, off the southern coast of Iceland.

They will stay in two containers, each 5.5 meters in length, 2 meters wide and 2 meters high, according to Marc Roveri, head of global customer service of Cargolux.

Preparations for the trip took about 10 months. “During the trip, the water will be changed from time to time to keep it fresh,” Roveri said.

The whales will not be fed during the trip. A total of 350 kilos of ice is being prepared for each beluga to maintain the water temperature.

Belugas are very smart and fast learners. Little White is shy and introverted but Little Gray is active, curious and naughty, their keepers at the Changfeng Ocean World in Putuo District say.

But with the temperature of the water in their new home likely to be much lower than their current environment, the keepers have been preparing the whales for the changes by gradually increasing their calorie intake over several months. The belugas have been fed more herring and capelin, two species of fish native to northern waters. Crab and shellfish have also been introduced to their pool.

Since June last year, they have been in intensive training. The whales have been taught to hold their breath longer underwater to improve their diving skills. They are also much stronger swimmers, ready to adapt to the tides and rushing waters of the North Atlantic.

The Sea Life Trust Beluga Whale Sanctuary was created in partnership with the UK-based wildlife charity Whale and Dolphin Conservation and is the first of its kind for cetaceans. The secluded bay covers 32,000 square meters, with a depth of 10 meters.




 

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