Belugas freed from captivity into world's first whale sanctuary

Two beluga whales have landed safely in Iceland, where they will live out their days in a whale sanctuary.

The pair, Little Grey and Little White, who had spent years in captivity as performers at the Changfeng Ocean World in Shanghai, were flown to the other side of the world in specially made slings and containers that were designed to their exact physical requirements.

The two 12-year-old female beluga whales journeyed 9,656 km from Shanghai to Iceland's Keflavik Airport before continuing their travels by lorry and ferry ahead of eventually ending up in their new home in a natural bay on Heimaey, one of the Westman Islands, located off the southern coast of Iceland.

Andy Bool, head of Sea Life Trust, said: "We're absolutely delighted Little Grey and Little White have safely touched down in Iceland. This is a complex, but inspiring, project and we've been working with the whales for months, helping to prepare them for traveling to their new home."

Little Grey and Little White will live in a quarantine pool for at least 40 days and be monitored while they rest there and recover from the stresses of the journey before they are moved to the secluded open-water bay.