Beluga whales take their first swim in open water sanctuary

The SEA LIFE Trust has confirmed that the two beluga whales, Little Grey and Little White, have taken their first swim in their open water sanctuary home in Iceland.

The Beluga Whale Sanctuary, operated by charity the SEA LIFE Trust, is the first of its kind and was built with the support of a generous donation from Merlin Entertainments.

Created in partnership with Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC), the SEA LIFE TRUST Beluga Whale Sanctuary is one of the biggest developments in captive whale and dolphin care and protection in decades and the first of its kind to be created for cetaceans.

Carefully monitored by the whales’ expert care team, Little Grey and Little White were released for the first time to fully explore the natural surroundings of the wider sanctuary at Klettsvik Bay on Heimaey, one of the Westman Islands off the south coast of Iceland.

The whales have been making good progress since moving to their bayside care pools in August and Little Grey and Little White’s first swim out in the wider bay is part of a carefully managed welfare program to help introduce the whales gradually into their much larger sanctuary home.

Led by their expert care team, the ‘Little Steps’ program will see the whales continue to be introduced to the bay (which is approximately 32,000 metres2 with a depth of up to 10 metres – which is equivalent of the size of 17 tennis courts) and return to the sea sanctuary care pools over a short period of time while their health and well-being is assessed and monitored on a daily basis.

Andy Bool, Head of SEA LIFE Trust advised “we’re absolutely thrilled by the progress that Little Grey and Little White have made since moving to their bayside care pools. They are feeding and acclimatising well to the more natural surroundings as well as all of the outdoor elements. We are introducing them gradually to the bay in little steps, but seeing them swim together and deep dive amongst the flora and fauna of the wider bay for the first time was amazing to witness and gave us a real sense that Little Grey and Little White are enjoying being back in the sea.”

Cathy Williamson, Whale and Dolphin Conservation’s End Captivity program lead, Cathy Williamson added “we’re delighted that Little Grey and Little White are now exploring the wider bay and adapting well to their new, natural, stimulating environment. WDC has been on this journey with Merlin Entertainments and the SEA LIFE Trust from the beginning and we are truly honoured to be a partner to the world’s first whale sanctuary. As well as providing an exciting home for Little Grey and Little White, we look forward to welcoming other belugas here and encouraging the development of sanctuaries in other parts of the world.

“We hope this will mean that many of the more than 3,500 whales and dolphins held in captivity for shows and swim with attractions can be brought to sanctuaries to live more natural lives or be rehabilitated for a return to the wild. As the documentary will reveal, many people have worked very hard to make the sanctuary a reality and take the first bold steps to helping bring about an end to the keeping of whales and dolphins in captivity for human entertainment.”

For more information about the SEA LIFE TRUST Beluga Whale Sanctuary or to make a donation, visit www.sealifetrust.org.