Hope on the horizon for Little White & Little Grey

The World's first Open Water Sanctuary

By Andy Bool. Photo: Sea Life Trust

Andy Bool, Head of charity the SEA LIFE Trust explains why the creation of the world’s first open water sanctuary for whales exists and why it represents a hopeful new future for captive cetaceans.

The sanctuary in in Iceland welcomed its first residents, two female beluga whales, Little Grey and Little White in June 2019.

In 2012, a significant event happened in the lives of Little White and Little Grey, two female beluga whales living in Chang Feng Ocean Word in Shanghai. The aquarium was bought by Merlin Entertainments, parent company of the global SEA LIFE aquarium chain. In line with their long-held belief that cetaceans should not be held for frivolous entertainment, Merlin began working with NGO partners and experts to find an alternative solution which would enhance their welfare.

Over six years later, following an extensive global search for potential sites, on 19th June 2019, Little White and Little Grey arrived in Iceland as the first residents of the SEA LIFE Trust Beluga Whale Sanctuary – the world’s first open water Sanctuary for whales. Merlin donated the funding required to create and build the Sanctuary to us, its partner charity the SEA LIFE Trust, and we now have sole responsibility for running it and caring for its residents in to the future. The aims of the Sanctuary are threefold: to enhance the welfare of its residents, to advance knowledge through research and education and to support protection of wild populations.

WHY IS THE SANCTUARY NEEDED. Little White and Little Grey are now 13 years old. They were born in the wild in the arctic seas off the north coast of Russia and started their lives as their wild counterparts do – swimming freely with their parents and other members of their pod. They were cruelly plucked from this life at only a few years old, caught by traders who sell young belugas to captive facilities.

The shift in their lives from that point was profound – no longer able to enjoy their freedom and choose to hunt for food, to play with their peers in the pod their lives instead became regimented – trained to perform in front of huge, noisy crowds a number of times every day in a purpose built arena, a space much smaller than the wide, open ocean they were used to.

There is an increasing body of evidence showing that whales and dolphins don’t thrive in an aquarium environment or performing in shows put on for the benefit of paying visitors – they can lead shorter lives, suffer psychological harm and physical injury and ultimately have no control over their lives.

Klettsvik Bay in Iceland provides the necessary natural conditions to encourage the belugas that call it home to live more like their wild counterparts. When Little White and Little Grey make the final move in to the sheltered bay in spring 2020, it will allow them to have much more choice over how they spend their time and interact with one another, just as they would have when they were first born and lived in open ocean. Exploring their new environment and the rich fauna and flora in the bay we believe will greatly enhance their lives and allow them to flourish.

Little White and Little Grey

Whilst we’ve been focused on creating the world’s first whale sanctuary, there has been a significant shift in public perception around performing cetaceans. This has seen some facilities that house cetaceans experience difficult trading conditions as a proportion of the public choose not to visit and tour operators (notably TripAdvisor, Virgin and BA) stop selling trips to attractions that have performing cetacean shows.

Those who house these animals cannot fail to note this shift and need to react to these changes by taking a lead in securing a different future for the cetaceans under their care. The welfare of those cetaceans in human care should be paramount, and a necessary part of that is for those who house them to constantly explore how the welfare of those animals could be enhanced by doing things differently.

To help demonstrate the welfare benefits of the Sanctuary for its resident whales we have commissioned an independent research study in to the welfare impact of living in an open water environment on Little White and Little Grey – we see this as a key element in persuading others to see Sanctuaries as a new way of caring for these amazing animals.

Up until now no one has provided a realistic alternative. By creating the world’s first and only such Sanctuary, the SEA LIFE Trust has demonstrated that an alternative is not only possible, but can become a reality.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE. Our overarching vision is that by demonstrating the potential for open water sanctuaries we will inspire others to consider a different future for the cetaceans in their care. More specifically, Klettsvik Bay has space to accommodate more belugas and we hope that some of those other belugas currently in aquariums around the world will join Little White and Little Grey at the Sanctuary and experience the benefits of an enhanced life as a result.

What happened in 2012 heralded the start of a new life for Little White and Little Grey; hopefully 2020 will be an equally remarkable milestone for the thousands of other cetaceans currently living in aquariums around the globe.

VISIT TO THE SANCTUARY IN ICELAND. In November 2019, The Perfect World's founders Ragnhild and Lars Jacobsson made a field trip to the open water Beluga Whale Sanctuary in Iceland.

“Walking out of the sanctuary’s pool area, where we’d spent a whole hour together with Little White and Little Grey, I turned my head one last time meeting the eyes of the two whales looking back at me with surprise, like they where wondering why I was leaving…. I left a part of my heart behind that day,” says Lars heartfelt.

DID YOU KNOW THAT BELUGA WHALES

… are white but are born dark gray, and it can take up to eight years before they turn completely white. The word beluga comes from the Russian word “bielo” meaning white.

… despite being a ‘toothed whale’, do not chew their food; instead they swallow their prey whole.

… are able to swim backwards.

… neck vertebraes are not fused together, giving them the unusual ability to turn its head up, down and side-to-side. The adaptation is thought to help them target their prey in areas that are full of ice or silt.

… are highly social creatures and generally live together in small groups known as pods.

… are sometimes called ‘melonheads’ due to the bulbous structure on their forehead. The fatty organ is believed to aid in echolocation, and it can be observed changing shape during whale vocalizations.

… threats include captivity, climate change, hunting, oil and gas development, and industrial and urban pollution. Polar bears and orcas are known predators of belugas throughout their Arctic range.

… gestation period lasts between 14 – 15 months. Females whales give birth to a single 150 cm / 5 feet long calf, once every three years, usually nursing from their mothers for up to two years.