After spending their life performing in captivity , a span of beluga whales is returning to theirnatural arctic oceanhabitat . AsThrillistreports , Little Grey and Little White will be the first two residents of a new beluga giant sanctuary in Iceland — the first open - water beluga refuge in the world .
Thetwo belugasare both females born about 12 long time ago . They were take from their aboriginal waters near Russia when they were babies and channel to Shanghai ’s Changfeng Ocean World — a Sea World - same attraction where marine animal perform for amusement . Sea Life Trust , the organization behind the unexampled whale chancel , has spend seven long time organizing the animals ' journey to Iceland , and on June 19 , they will last get in their raw home .
The beluga whale sanctuary is located in Klettsvik Bay on Heimaey Island off Iceland ’s southern slide . small Grey and Little White will have a 34,455 - square - foot , 30 - foundation - deep area of receptive ocean to search . The water temperatures will also be much closer to what white sturgeon are course adapted to , but after spending so much time in China , they whales need acclimatise to their frigid new habitat . presently weighing about 2000 quid from each one , the belugas are being given extra food to help them bulge up .
alternatively of viewing them behind the glass walls of a tank , visitor to the asylum will be able to see the hulk in their instinctive environment . From August 1 to October 30 , boat will take tourists around the bay where the whales live . slate start around$50 .
The adept residents have n’t arrived yet , but the giant sanctuary officially opened this spring . The attractor is also home to a visitors sum with an aquarium and a puffin sanctuary , both of which are now open to the world .
[ h / tThrillist ]
