Two Beluga Whales touch down at Keflavík Airport in Iceland, where they are being rehomed in an open-water sanctuary after spending years in captivity in a Shanghai aquarium. It also has a rich variety of seaweed, kelp, and fish for them to eat. The plane will help transport the two whales along with a care team to the world’s first open water sanctuary for beluga whales. Yesterday, I was walking through the aisles of holiday supplies at a local store when... You can help by sharing this on social media! Little Grey and Little White are now being looked after at the world's first open water sanctuary for belugas in Iceland. Located in the magnificent Klettsvik Bay, on the island of Heimæy, off the south coast of Iceland, the sanctuary has become the new home for Little Grey and Little White, two sociable cetaceans that were formerly living in captivity in a Shanghai aquarium. You can find out more about their epic journey. In an incredibly rare moment, a captain captured drone video of a beluga whale off the coast of San Diego. The … The welfare of these beautiful belugas is always our priority, and we know it’s yours too, so we thank you for your continued support! It is vital for the long-term goal of this world’s first project that Little Grey and Little White’s transition into the sea sanctuary continues to be positive and allows safe management of their health and well-being for many years to come. Our Sanctuary’s first residents, Little White and Little Grey, travelled 6,000 miles from their previous home in a Shanghai aquarium via air, land and sea to the Sanctuary, located in a large, natural bay in the Westman Islands, just off the south coast of Iceland. The Beluga Whale Sanctuary is in Klettsvik Bay (KLEHTS-vik) in Iceland. Two beluga whales have been transported from captivity to an open-ocean sanctuary in Iceland ©Aaron Chown/PA Wire/Sea Life Trust Iceland is home to the world's first open-water sanctuary for beluga whales in a groundbreaking global marine welfare project. It is the first organization focused exclusively on creating seaside sanctuaries in North America for orcas and beluga whales who are being retired from entertainment facilities or have been rescued from the ocean and need rehabilitation or permanent care. The Beluga Operating Company ehf (Kt 620218-1700) is registered at: Ægisgata 2, 900 Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland. The bay’s cool waters are like those of the whales’ original Arctic home. Beluga Whale Sanctuary. Domenic Biagini saw the beluga whale with his own eyes, but still couldn’t believe it. The care team looking after Little White and Little Grey have decided to go ahead and move the two belugas back to the landside care facility for the winter months 2020/2021. It gives rescued belugas the opportunity to swim and dive in a more natural environment. MUSHABOOM, N.S. SEA LIFE Trust is a charity registered in England & Wales (1175859) and company limited by guarantee (10833916); both are registered at Link House, 25 West Street, Poole, BH15 1LD. With their expert care team they will continue to be able to swim out into the bay and then return to their sea sanctuary care pools. The SEA LIFE TRUST Beluga Whale Sanctuary was created with support from Merlin Entertainments and Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) with the aim of providing formerly captive beluga whales with a safe and more natural home. We are so excited - Little White & Little Gray have started to explore the SEA LIFE Trust Beluga Whale Sanctuary in Klettsvik Bay for the first time! Beluga Whale & Puffin Sanctuary in Iceland Posted on 08/04/2019 12/04/2019 by hollgueshouse The SEA LIFE Trust Beluga Whale Sanctuary was created in partnership with the Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) and is one of the world’s most active developments in the care and protection of marine life. Two former captive beluga whales have been relocated to a new sea sanctuary in Iceland.#ABCNews #BelugaWhale #Iceland An underwater net blocks the bay’s entrance to protect the pair from predators. Click here to find out how you can visit the Sanctuary. Until now. By continuing you agree to our use of cookies. In mid-2019, the world witnessed the completion of the world’s first open-water sanctuary for beluga whales. Registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Go back to blog. Two beluga whales have had their first swim in their open water sanctuary after leaving a marine park in China. Beluga Whale Sanctuary Creating the world's first Beluga Whale Sanctuary. The aims of our sanctuary are: To provide a more natural life for the belugas … The goal is to offer captive orcas and beluga whales a natural environment that maximizes their opportunities for autonomy, exploration, play, rest, and socializing. The SEA LIFE TRUST is pleased to announce that thanks to a very generous donation from Merlin Entertainments we are building the world’s first beluga whale sanctuary in Iceland! We use cookies to help give you the best experience on our site. Saving the endangered North Atlantic right whale, Meet Delilah – Our Inflatable North Atlantic Right Whale, Sharing the Seas – Safe Boating for Sailors. The Sea Life Trust Beluga Whale Sanctuary was created with support from Merlin Entertainments and Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC). The Beluga Whale Sanctuary is in a large bay that has a rich variety of seaweed, kelp, and fish for the whales to feed on. The Beluga Whale Sanctuary placed in the whaling nation Iceland with no whale protection laws worth mentioning first looks like a really bad joke but it’s true. A world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free. Created in partnership with WDC, the SEA LIFE TRUST Beluga Whale Sanctuary will be located in Iceland and 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 whales and dolphins. Little White and Little Grey melted the nation’s heart. Rehoming two … This is a concept image of the seaside sanctuary we’ll be creating. The large bay gives the belugas plenty of space to swim, dive, and explore. They’ve officially been released into a seaside sanctuary in Klettsvik Bay in Iceland. While we are thrilled at the progress that beluga whales, Little White and Little Grey have made in adapting to a more natural environment in the ocean sanctuary in last few weeks, the Icelandic winter storm season is approaching. Beluga sanctuary The two belugas are the first inhabitants of the new sanctuary at Klettsvik Bay. We're delighted to share the video you’ve been waiting for - Little White and Little Grey exploring Klettsvik Bay for the first time! By leading the way and demonstrating an alternative way of caring for these beautiful animals we want to encourage others to consider sanctuaries as a viable alternative. — A privately funded sanctuary for captive beluga whales appears to be on its way to Nova Scotia. This change could potentially transform the lives of not only beluga whales but over 3,000 other whales and dolphins currently housed in traditional captive facilities or performing in shows around the world. According to Thrillist, beluga whales can dive thousands of feet below the water but generally stay around 60 feet below.The waters at the sanctuary are … We want to thank everyone for your support and reassure you all that we’ll keep you updated on Little Grey and Little White’s progress in this temporary winter period. The SEA LIFE TRUST Beluga Whale Sanctuary was created with support from Merlin Entertainments and Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) with the aim of providing formerly captive beluga whales with a safe and more natural home. An underwater net blocks the bay’s entrance. Two beluga whales are back in the ocean for the first time after spending most of their lives so far in an aquarium. They now can continue swimming between the bay and their sea sanctuary care pools with the help of their expert care team. The SEA LIFE TRUST announce it will create the world’s first sanctuary for beluga whales in Iceland. While we are thrilled at the progress that beluga whales, Little White and Little Grey have made in adapting to a more natural environment in the ocean sanctuary in last few weeks, the Icelandic winter storm season is approaching. The Whale Sanctuary Project has narrowed its North American-wide search for a location to house former marine park animals down to two sites on the Eastern Shore. The Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) helped found the facility. Watch beluga whales return to sea after years of captivity 01:34 (CNN) Rehoming animals is a delicate business at the best of times. In 2019, a sanctuary in Iceland was established for two belugas, Little White and Little Grey, that retired from a marine park in China. SEA LIFE Trust Beluga Whale Sanctuary: BELUGA SANCTUARY - See 227 traveller reviews, 136 candid photos, and great deals for Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland, at Tripadvisor. Its cool waters are similar to those of the whales’ original Arctic home. Viewers of John Bishop’s Great Whale Rescue were heartbroken as two beluga whales were separated from the first time in 10 years. Using the landside care facility for this purpose has always been part of the long-term planning for the sanctuary to keep Little Grey and Little White safe and healthy. As guardians of these two amazing beluga whales, Little White and Little Grey’s welfare will always be a top priority. They are both about 12 years old and are expected to live into their 40s, so the sanctuary … Watch the whales exploring the sanctuary The moving of the whales into the world’s first open water sanctuary for belugas, was completed on Friday 7th August at 12:30pm Icelandic time. The whales were moved to a sanctuary off … The footage above depicts their intense journey from Changfeng Ocean World in Shanghai, where they were forced to perform for visitors for nearly a decade, to the Beluga Whale Sanctuary some 6,000 miles away. We can now confirm that two beluga whales, Little Grey and Little White, are now safely in their new sea sanctuary care area at Klettsvik Bay in Iceland. It is the world’s first open water sanctuary for belugas. The Sanctuary’s Visitor Centre is open to the public and all monies raised from admission ticket sales help our charity to provide the best possible care for Little White and Little Grey. After traveling 6,000 miles from an aquarium in China, the two beluga whales have been moved to the world's first open-water whale sanctuary for … The move will allow the team to continue to provide expert care, ensuring the belugas have positive experiences and are prepared to go back into the bay in early 2021. Two former captive beluga whales, Little Grey and Little White, were successfully released into the world's first open water sea sanctuary for beluga whales in Iceland. The sanctuary features a large bay area, which is nearly 350,000 square feet. 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