This whale went on an incredible journey—without swimming. She and another female beluga whale (each weighing more than 2,000 pounds) made a 6,000-mile trek by truck, plane, and boat from China to their new home in Iceland. The whales, named Little Grey and Little White, were moved from a small aquarium to the world’s first open-water sanctuary for their species.
About 10 years ago, the two mammals were captured in the Arctic Ocean and sold to an aquarium in Shanghai, China. New owners bought the aquarium in 2012 and worked with conservation groups to set up a place where the whales could have a better life.
This past fall, the whales took their first swim in Iceland’s Beluga Whale Sanctuary, a bay rich in seaweed, kelp, and fish that the whales can feed on. Its cool waters are similar to those of the whales’ original Arctic home. The bay is enclosed in underwater netting to keep the whales safe, because they couldn’t survive on their own in the wild.
The whales may also have some companions soon. The sanctuary has room for up to 10 beluga whales.