Beluga whales in Shanghai to leave for sanctuary in spring

Two beluga whales in Shanghai will travel some 9,000 kilometers this spring to the sea off Iceland, reports the Xinmin Evening News.

A ceremony is held on Jan. 4, 2019, to say goodbye to the two beluga whales who will be relocated to a sanctuary off Iceland this spring at Shanghai's Changfeng Ocean World aquarium, where the pair has been performing for visitors since 2012. [Photo: VCG]

Having been living in a Shanghai aquarium for years, the two female whales, nicknamed "Little Grey" and "Little White," will soon become the first residents for the world's first open-sea beluga whale sanctuary in Klettsvik Bay on Heimaey Island off Iceland's southern coast.

China Daily reports that the pair's new home is around 32,000 square meters, and will be closed off with special netting.

A ceremony is held on Jan. 4, 2019, to say goodbye to the two beluga whales who will be relocated to a sanctuary off Iceland this spring at Shanghai's Changfeng Ocean World aquarium, where the pair has been performing for visitors since 2012. [Photo: VCG]

The pair has been receiving training for the upcoming relocation over the past months, as they will be travelling for more than 30 hours, by air, by land and by sea, before finally arriving in Iceland.

Upon arrival, the whales will be welcomed by a local professional group first, before entering into their new natural environment.