For years, Little Grey and Little White, two beluga whales, had had to endure terrible conditions. Soon they will have plenty of room and nothing to bother them.
In 2011, Little Grey and Little White were happily living in the ocean, when something bad happened.
A Russian whale research vessel captured them.
For a while, the Russian biologists studied them.
Instead of releasing the whales back into the wild, the company that had conducted the experiments sold them.
Soon, they were headed to Changfeng Ocean World in Shanghai.
In the aquarium, Little Grey and Little White were forced to learn routines for the pleasure of visitors. Of course, the whales just wanted to be free. But the humans were determined to work them as hard as possible.
For nine long years, the whales suffered in this aquarium.
For the guests, they looked happy. But as many people know, this was all a part of the optics of the aquarium. Really, the animals wanted nothing more than to be free and to roam the water once more.
Luckily, a change in management meant that life would eventually get better for Little Grey and Little White.
A UK company bought Changfeng Ocean World. This company, Merlin Entertainments, was opposed to keeping any whales in its properties.
It took a while to arrange Little Grey and Little White’s release.
But eventually, the company found a solution. It arranged for both of the animals to travel to Klettvik Bay, an open water sanctuary in Iceland run by the charity SEA LIFE TRUST.
Arranging the whales’ rehabilitation was no easy task.
Each whale weighed just over 2,000 pounds. They also needed 55 pounds of fish each per day on their journey. Luckily, the company was able to arrange transport for the animals.
Soon, the rescuers loaded the whales onto a ship to begin the long journey. At the time, the whales had no idea, but they were on the way to a better, happier life!
The ship journeyed all the way from China to Iceland, with Little Grey and Little White held safely aboard.
Once the whales arrived, the rescuers moved the whales into pools. This was a precautionary measure to give the animals time to acclimatize.
Eventually, the time will come for the beluga whales to enter the open water of the sanctuary.
However, they’ve already become noticeably happier.
They’re always smiling when the biologists check on their health. The colder water and lack of pressure to perform have really made a difference to their wellbeing.
A report on the whales’ rescue then appeared on YouTube, and it has touched people all over the world.
In just days, it has gained almost 100,000 views. It also has more than 1,600 likes and 350 comments. People have been saying things like this:
It’s great to know that Little White and Little Grey have happy lives ahead of them after so much difficulty.
They are both around 12 years old. But they have a life expectancy of anywhere between 35 to 50 years. One day, their years of suffering will just be a distant memory.
Unfortunately, not all beluga whales are so lucky. Right now, there are over 300 beluga whales in captivity.
Like Little White and Little Grey, they are forced to entertain humans against their will and live in unsuitable conditions.
Hopefully, more people will support organizations like SEA LIFE TRUST and ensure that all beluga whales can live happy lives.
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