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All 10 Orcas from the Whale Jail Have Now Been Returned to the Ocean

Posted August 30, 2019 in News by Charles Vinick

This week marked the completion of the return of the 10 orcas from the “whale jail” in Russia to the Sea of Okhotsk, from where they were captured last year.

This is exceptional progress, and so many of you have made this possible through your participation and support of our Whale Aid Russia program.

Both the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Sakhalin Environmental Watch activist group have said that the release of the orcas could not have been accomplished without the work of the Jean-Michel Cousteau/Whale Sanctuary Project team.

Seeing these whales swimming exuberantly in the open sea for the first time in almost a year is heartwarming. You can see and feel the “joy” of the whales in the photos and videos.

That is not to say that the releases have all gone perfectly. The Russian government contracted with the fishing companies (the captors) to transport the whales back to the waters from which they were taken. And while there was certainly some logic to doing it this way, the government did not accept, or believed they could not execute, some of our recommendations for the releases.

For example, we had outlined methodologies for preparing the whales for transport, keeping them in larger transport containers, and adapting them to the open ocean in sea pens at the release site prior to release. Instead the Russians have been releasing the whales from their transport boxes immediately upon reaching the release site after a five-day transport.

We also pressed for independent monitoring of the whole program. And this was introduced for the third transport/release, with Greenpeace Russia being invited to officially observe the entire operation.

But overall, the process has been successful. And yesterday, August 29th, Grigory Tsidulko, a member of the Council for Marine Mammals and of the Whale Sanctuary Project team, reported that the orca known as Vasilievna, who had been part of the first group of orcas released on June 27th, had been seen hunting and sharing food with a group of wild whales. This is a milestone in the program, showing that these captured orcas can indeed be returned to the ocean and successfully find their families or another group that will adopt them.

Next: Returning the remaining 75 belugas

Photo courtesy of VNIRO

Along with the 10 orcas in the first phase of the transport/release program, 12 belugas were also returned to the ocean, leaving 75 to be released before the onset of winter.

Because of the large number involved and the difficulty in tracking belugas once they are released, this next phase will likely be the most challenging. We are in continuing contact with the scientists overseeing the program and are providing additional suggestions and recommendations.

Meanwhile, we are also advising on the monitoring of all the whales. Many of them have satellite tags attached to their dorsal fins, and we have proposed additional methodologies for tracking them to increase the likelihood of visual contact. This will help us to establish if they have joined other wild whales, which is very important for their long-term well-being.

All in all, there is still much to do to complete the release of the rest of the original 97 orcas and belugas before the weather changes.

At the same time, we are also negotiating with the Ministry of Natural Resources, at their invitation, for a longer-term relationship, and we are keeping pressure on Russia to fulfill their public statement to end the capture of orcas and belugas altogether.

(Two months ago, during President Putin’s annual “Direct Line” televised phone-in with the Russian people, Deputy Prime Minister Gordeyev announced that the government would change the law in order to ban hunting whales for “educational and cultural purposes” – a loophole used to capture these whales.)

We know that the government is getting a lot of pushback from fishing companies, and a permanent ban on the capture of wild whales and dolphins for sale to marine entertainment parks – mostly in China – has to be an ultimate goal of all of this work.

Again, none of what has been accomplished so far would have been possible without the continuing participation and support of so many of you. And while there is still much to be completed, we should all take a moment to recognize that this is a landmark event: the largest whale rescue and release program in history. Thank you again.

 

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Photo of Charles Vinick
Charles Vinick

Whale Aid Russia

How the Whale Sanctuary Project worked with the Russian government and Russian animal protection groups to return to the ocean 10 orcas and 87 beluga whales who had been captured illegally for sale to marine entertainment parks in China.

Whale Aid Russia – the whole story
The story to date, told in words, photos and video, updated regularly.

Individual posts starting with most recent:

The Whale Jail Is No More
The last group of beluga whales have been returned to the ocean. The notorious sea pens that housed 10 orcas and 87 beluga whales are now closed.

All 10 Orcas from the Whale Jail Have Now Been Returned to the Ocean
This is exceptional progress, and while the releases have not all gone perfectly, the process overall has been successful.

Third Group of Orcas Released from Whale Jail
Transport of the third group of orcas from the “whale jail” back to the ocean has now begun.

Release of First Orcas and Belugas from Whale Jail Raises Concerns
Serious questions are being raised about the care of the orcas and beluga whales who are being returned to the ocean from the “whale jail” in Russia.

Jean-Michel Cousteau and Whale Sanctuary Project Team on Returning Whales to Ocean
A release of this scale – 10 orcas and 87 belugas – has never been done before. Words of encouragement … and caution.

Russia Begins Transport of Whales for Return to the Ocean
The government also announced a ban on capturing whales for use as entertainment.

Jean-Michel Cousteau Asks Putin to Make Final Decision
Requests that the President order the release of all orcas and belugas in the areas where they were captured.

Russian Ministry Presses for Summer Release of Captive Whales
Plans are now moving ahead to return the captive orcas and beluga whales to the ocean.

Whale Aid Russia Begins Stage Two
We have now moved to the next stage: How the rehabilitation and release of the whales will be implemented.

Plan to Immediately Release Orcas in Srednyaya Bay Should Not Be Adopted
Press release: We do not support a plan calling for release, within a month, of the 10 orcas into the ocean adjacent to their sea pens.

Recommendations for Release of Orcas and Belugas from Srednyaya Bay
Press release highlighting observations and recommendations from our Jean-Michel Cousteau/Whale Sanctuary Project team.

Russian Consilium Mirrors Assessment of Whale Sanctuary Team
“The general recommendation of the scientists now is that the whales should be released around the same location where they were captured.”

Our Report to the Russian Government
Executive summary of our assessment and recommendations.

From the Sea of Okhotsk
The story of two belugas who were captured in Russian waters and shipped to Marineland Canada.

Governor Signs Agreement to Free Captive Whales
Working together toward rehab and return to the ocean, rather than letting them be sold to entertainment facilities in China.

Russia Invites Whale Sanctuary Project to Visit Whale Jail
An overview of the orcas and beluga whales suffering in sea pens at the “whale jail.”

Video of Press Conference in Moscow:
Charles Vinick and Jean-Michel Cousteau describe some of what will be involved in rehab and return of the whales.

Russia Issues Formal Invitation to Visit Whale Jail
Our team of experts, led by Jean-Michel Cousteau, will be traveling to the notorious “whale jail” on April 3rd.

Expert Team Prepares to Visit Whale Jail
Whale Sanctuary Project assembles team to assess the orcas and belugas, and to advise the Russian government.

The Whale Jail in Srednyaya Bay
Background and history of the capture, and the condition of the whales today.

Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Letter to President Putin
These experts spearheaded the return of the orca Keiko to his home waters in the 1990s.

Letter from 34 Marine Mammal Biologists
A request for an international team of experts to evaluate and treat the whales.

Global Citizens Urge Return of the Whales
Letter from Queen Noor of Jordan, Jane Goodall, Pamela Anderson, and business leaders, actors and musicians.

 

 

Also on the Blog

  • Seaside Sanctuary Concept
  • Canada Bans Captivity of Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises
  • Orca Brains and Intelligence
  • “Whales Without Walls” – a short film
  • The Whale Jail Is No More!
  • Site Search Report

The Case Against Keeping Whales and Dolphins Captive

The tide is turning in the West but in Asia the marine entertainment park industry is booming. 

Special report >

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