Wildlife conservationists have transported "Little White" and "Little Grey," two previously-captive beluga whales into a first-of-its-kind open water sanctuary in Iceland.

Organizers hope other captive beluga whales may one day join "Little White" and "Little Grey" in the bay.

On August 7, wildlife conservationists transported the two beluga whales from their landside pool into a new open water sanctuary off Iceland's south coast.

The pair touched down at Iceland's Keflavik International Airport last June. Organizers had originally planned to release the pair last summer but were delayed due to bad weather.

Conservationists say the whales will now spend a short period of time in a "bayside care pool" to acclimatize to their new environment before a final release into the wider sanctuary.

"It didn't feel real until we came out here with Grey. And to see her, you know, and see them lower the stretcher and see her come out. It just makes it all worth it," says Audrey Padgett, general manager of the whale sanctuary.

"It makes the late nights and the early mornings and all the wonderful practices we've had with half the people from the town that have come to help us. It's just amazing."

Their new home is a 32,000-square-meter (344,445-square-foot) sea pen in a pristine bay called Klettsvik, accessible by whale-watching boats.

Little White and Little Grey were captured in Russian waters and sold to Changfeng Ocean World aquarium in Shanghai over ten years ago. Beluga whales are native to the Arctic Ocean, not the North Atlantic surrounding Iceland. The International Union for Conservation of Nature estimates that 135,000 mature beluga whales live in Arctic waters.

The release of Little Grey and Little White reflects a worldwide movement against keeping whales and dolphins in captivity. The mission to relocate them began when Changfeng Ocean World was acquired by Merlin Entertainment, a British corporation that owns Legoland and other theme parks.

The company, which has a policy against captive whales and dolphins, teamed up with wildlife charity Sea Life Trust to spearhead the effort.
"We hope to identify other beluga whales currently in aquariums who might be able to come and join Little White and Little Grey in the sanctuary," said Andy Bool, head of Sea Life Trust, in a September 2018 interview.

"We hope that by showing that you can move them from an aquarium environment into a more natural space that we're providing a vision for a potentially different future for those animals."

Despite the dramatic life change, Little White and Little Gray won't be withdrawing from the public eye. Their presence on the Westman Islands is expected to be a drawcard for the town of 4,000 residents.

"This is unique, this is the first time in the world they do it like this. So, we're very happy to be a part of it," said Westman Islands Mayor Iris Robertsdottir in a September 2018 interview.

Around 3,000 whales, dolphins and porpoises are held in tanks globally, according to wildlife charity Whale and Dolphin Conservation.


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