Home from home for Little Grey and Little White
Little Grey and Little White dream of traveling overseas.
Little Grey and Little White, the two beluga whales who recently left their home in Changfeng Ocean World in Putuo District, have safely touched down in Iceland.
Following their 6,000-mile flight, the pair will now make the final stages of their journey by truck and ferry to the world’s only open water sanctuary for beluga whales.
Aboard a Cargolux Airlines flight, Little Grey and Little White arrived at Keflavik Airport (Iceland’s international airport) on Wednesday afternoon, Icelandic time, in good health, safely and comfortable after their 12-hour flight. A team of vets with experience in transporting marine mammals were on board but everything went smoothly.
The 747-400ERF freighter was welcomed onto the tarmac with a ceremonial water salute from two fire trucks in celebration of the safe arrival Iceland's newest residents.
The whales will now continue on to their new home, a sanctuary in a natural bay on Heimaey, one of the Westman Islands off the southern coast of Iceland.
"We're absolutely delighted Little Grey and Little White have safely touched down in Iceland," said Andy Bool, head of Sea Life Trust.
"This is a complex but inspiring project and we've been working with the whales for months helping to prepare them for travelling to their new home. We'll continue to carefully monitor the whales but we're pleased with their overall progress and welfare checks, which have been taking place throughout the relocation."
Following bad weather in April, the relocation had to be rescheduled for June.
Two lorries will now carry Little Grey and Little White to a ferry. Once they arrive on Heimaey, they will spend at least 40 days in quarantine before moving to their new home in the secluded bay this summer.
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 for beluga.
The bay, which measures approximately 32,000 square meters, with a depth of up to 10 meters provide a more natural sub-Arctic environment and more wild habitat for the whales to call home.
Preparations for the flight left nothing to chance
The containers accommodating Little Grey and Little White are taken out of the aircraft in Iceland.
Sea Life Trust Beluga Whale Sanctuary
