“Little Grey” and “Little White” Swim Freely After Ten Years in Captivity

After a 30 hours flight and 10,000 kilometers, two beluga whales have reached their new home off the coast of Iceland where they can live in the open sea for the first time after a decade of captivity.

“We’re absolutely delighted to be able to share the news that the two belugas called Little Grey and Little White are safely in their sea sanctuary care pools and are just one step away from being released into their wider open water home,” says Andy Bool, head of Sea Life Trust, a British charity. “We are carefully monitoring Little Grey and Little White with our expert care team and veterinarians, and hope to announce their final release very soon.”

The two 12-year-old beluga whales, also called sea canaries because of their high-pitched calls, will first acclimatize to their new environment before being released into the wider sanctuary, the world’s first open water sanctuary for belugas at Klettsvik Bay. They spend the last decade performing in front of audiences in China after being first taken from a Russian whale research center in 2011. By living in the sanctuary, the two belugas will be safe from hunting, commercial whaling, and climate change.