Reykjavík Grapevine - jul 2021, Qupperneq 30

Stepping through the door of the
sanctuary, we expected to be wel-
comed with some sort of ceremonial
orchestra. Instead, we were greeted
by two melon-headed, curious crea-
tures, also known as the “Canaries of
the Sea.” Fortunately, we still got our
orchestra—chirping, whistling and
grunting—the beluga whales excit-
edly embraced us, snatching their wa-
ter toys, ready for action. Meeting the
gaze of our photographers, they knew
their cue. It was showtime.
The stars of the sea
The female belugas, Little Grey and
Little White, were aquatic perform-
ers in a past life. They were captured
from the Arctic waters of Russia at
two or three years old. From Rus-
sia, they were sold to an aquarium in
Shanghai to provide entertainment
for visitors.
Eventually, the aquarium was ac-
quired by another company with less
of a taste for keeping whales in captiv-
ity and the pair was flown across the
globe from Changfeng Ocean World to
the SEA LIFE Trust marine sanctuary
off the south coast of Iceland, in Vest-
mannaeyjar. The goal for the 14-year-
old whales is to move into an open-
water sanctuary at Klettsvík Bay next
summer. SEA LIFE Trust, a UK-based
marine conservation charity, hopes
the project can become a model for
the rehoming of almost 3,000 other
cetaceans currently in captivity.
However, the whales have yet to
fully move into the lagoon after re-
siding in Iceland for two years. Last
summer, they were moved into the
open-water sanctuary but Little White
turned out to be slightly less adven-
turous than anticipated. While Little
Gray echo-located herself around the
32,000 square meter lagoon, Little
White showed hesitation. SEA LIFE
Trust decided to renovate the sanctu-
ary bay this year. By sectioning off a
part of the sanctuary, they’re hoping
to develop a middle-ground for Little
White until she becomes more com-
fortable with the new environment.
Part-time puffin rescuers
Belugas aren’t the only ones finding
sanctuary in Iceland. The SEA LIFE
Trust team also cares for puffins—
some are brought in as pufflings and
may become resident puffins; unfor-
tunately, not all can be released back
to the wild. Some struggle to fly or
aren’t able to produce the oils to wa-
terproof their feathers—one is even
afraid of water.
Right away, the team put us to
work. Feeling like we were on an epi-
sode of “Dirty Jobs,” Jessica, the beluga
curator, initiated us into the cleaning
process of the puffin’s artificial bur-
rows—handing over a brush and hose,
we scrubbed and sprayed away. Wet
and sprinkled with Puffin poop, we
quickly realized it’s a lot of work car-
ing for these little seabirds! Move over
Mike Rowe, we’re coming for you.
Plunging with bubble-
headed belugas
The strikingly giant mammals clock in
at four meters long and 900 kilograms,
and consume about 24 kilograms of
fish each day. To keep them mentally
stimulated, both whales have six daily
training sessions to prepare them for
their eventual move to Klettsvík and
possible medical emergencies; both
caretakers emphasize that positive re-
inforcement is key. Frankly, it almost
seemed like training a dog—just in a
pool and quadrupled in size!
Our excitement had peaked. We
suited up and pulled on waders. Un-
sure of what was next, the team called
us down onto a platform lowered into
the pool. You heard that right—we
were IN the water. Settling down next
to the belugas, ready to assist with
practising blood sampling. Eager for
attention, they swam right up to us,
wiggling their bulbous melonheads.
To be clear, we’re not head-shaming
them—full of fatty acids, the melons
help the whales echolocate and com-
municate with various sounds. We
couldn’t help but feel starstruck by the
size and vibrancy of the whales, mak-
ing us question if this was all a dream
we had yet to wake up from.
Little White and Little Grey are
patiently preparing for their move to
Klettsvík Bay. We’re eagerly rooting
for their success and for SEA LIFE
Trust’s approach eventually becom-
ing a model for thousands of others
currently in captivity.
Travel distance
from Reykjavík:
150 km
Car provided by:
gocarrental.is
Ferry provided by:
herjolfur.is
Befriendin! Belu!a Whales And Puffins
Behind the scenes of the Sea Life Trust Sanctuary in Vestmannaeyjar
Words: Brittnee Kiner & Alina Maurer Photos: Christine Wehrmeier
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