Join our zoo community

Beluga Sanctuary News

Discussion in 'Iceland' started by ketoflukes, 11 Aug 2022.

  1. ketoflukes

    ketoflukes Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    21 Jun 2022
    Posts:
    50
    Location:
    Iceland
    (From 1/8/22) Belugas had their final health check before the move back to the bay. According to an Instagram post and comments made by the sanctuary, the whales are in good health and the move is scheduled to occur within the next few weeks.

    Beluga Update
     
    Gigit likes this.
  2. ketoflukes

    ketoflukes Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    21 Jun 2022
    Posts:
    50
    Location:
    Iceland
    The Beluga Sanctuary has received and weighed the first puffling of the 2022 season from the local Puffling Patrol. The island of Vestmannaeyjar was once home to the largest puffin colony in Iceland, but the number of occupied burrows and fledged pufflings has reached an all time low this year. The Beluga Sanctuary takes in injured and ill puffins for rehabilitation and release, and also provides a permanent home to puffins who are deemed non-releasable.

    First Puffling Weighed
     
    Gigit likes this.
  3. ketoflukes

    ketoflukes Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    21 Jun 2022
    Posts:
    50
    Location:
    Iceland
    Unfortunate news from the Beluga Sanctuary (24.8.22).
    On the morning of August 14th, the Sanctuary's diving contractor boat sunk unexpectedly just hours before the belugas were scheduled to be moved, causing oil and fuel to leak into the bay where the sanctuary is located. Thankfully, no one was on board and both Little Grey and Little White, as well as the staff, are all safe. However, as a result, the move has now been postponed until Spring 2023 at the very least to give time for repairs.

    Beluga Sanctuary's statement.

    As tragic as this is, I'm so thankful that the whales are safe and sound and that this did not happen with anyone on the boat or with the whales already in the bay.
     
  4. Gigit

    Gigit Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    7 Oct 2007
    Posts:
    2,956
    Location:
    England
    What bad luck :(
     
    ketoflukes likes this.
  5. ketoflukes

    ketoflukes Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    21 Jun 2022
    Posts:
    50
    Location:
    Iceland
    Update Post (7.10.22) These are all of the more important news and updates that have been posted since my previous update to this thread:

    29. September, 2022
    47 pufflings have come through the Beluga Sanctuary puffin hospital in total this season. The pufflings are treated for injuries, oil spills, and other diseases and illnesses. Some pufflings are leaving their nests early and are thus being kept at the Sanctuary until they drop their down feathers and gain weight. When this post was made, 5 pufflings were in the Sanctuary's care and another 10 were being cared for at home by volunteers.

    22. September, 2022:
    Debris has successfully been removed from the bay and oil absorbing floats were installed after the sinking of the contractor boat. Tests reveal that no fuel remains in the water, however testing and cleaning will continue throughout the winter to ensure a completely safe environment for Little White and Little Grey to live in.

    10. September, 2022
    Little Grey and Little White remain in good health and the team continues to provide them with care and enrichment to prepare them for their Spring 2023 move back to the bay.

    2. September, 2022
    Small update from Audrey Pagett, GM of the Sanctuary, on how the cleanup is going.
     
    TinoPup likes this.
  6. ketoflukes

    ketoflukes Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    21 Jun 2022
    Posts:
    50
    Location:
    Iceland
    For sure :( First it was weather delays, then the girls caught a stomach bug, then Covid supply delays, and now this. They just can't catch a break.
     
  7. ketoflukes

    ketoflukes Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    21 Jun 2022
    Posts:
    50
    Location:
    Iceland
    Update Post (26.11.22). It's been fairly quiet since my last update so this post will be small.

    23. November, 2022
    The Sanctuary currently has one puffling from this years puffling season staying with the facility over winter. It has been given the name Steven and will stay at the facility until it will be released next puffin season.

    18. November, 2022
    Belugas' latest health check. Both girls remain in great condition and continue to acclimate for their move in Spring 2023.

    31. October, 2022
    Not an update per se, just a cute video featuring their resident guillemot Moli.
     
    Gigit likes this.
  8. Merintia

    Merintia Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    4 Aug 2014
    Posts:
    138
    Location:
    Spain
    Have been more than three years since the Beluga Whales were transfered to Iceland. How many time had they spent on the bay? Few months, I think?
     
  9. ketoflukes

    ketoflukes Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    21 Jun 2022
    Posts:
    50
    Location:
    Iceland
    They spent from August 7th, 2020 to December 8th, 2020 in the bay.
     
    Merintia likes this.
  10. ZooElephantMan

    ZooElephantMan Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    19 Apr 2015
    Posts:
    1,107
    Location:
    Massachusetts
    Why were they removed from the bay in December 2020?
     
  11. ketoflukes

    ketoflukes Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    21 Jun 2022
    Posts:
    50
    Location:
    Iceland
    Little White, one of the two belugas, was not acclimating to the new environment at a pace the staff had anticipated. Since it was due for winter, the care team decided to return them both to the landside facility so that they would not have to face the harsh winter with unacclimated whales and also so that they could construct a ''middle step'' for Little White (and any future belugas that might need it). The middle step consists of a medium sized circular halo-like structure which fits in the middle of the bay pen.
     
    ZooElephantMan likes this.
  12. ketoflukes

    ketoflukes Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    21 Jun 2022
    Posts:
    50
    Location:
    Iceland
    Update Post (01.04.23). I will try to update this thread more regularly as we come closer to the belugas move back to the bay

    30. March, 2023
    A new Facebook post made by the sanctuary states that the belugas are to be moved ''in the coming weeks'', meaning that the move may possibly happen around late April to early/mid May.

    6. March, 2023
    Dr. Isabella Clegg, also known as the Dolphin Doctor, has returned to Iceland to conduct a welfare assessment on the belugas prior to their move. Dr. Clegg has been doing bi-annual welfare checks since the belugas were in Shanghai

    19. February, 2023
    Another beluga health update - both Little Grey and Little White remain in good health and have been working on recall, gating, and husbandry behaviors that will assist the whales once they move back out into the bay

    17. February, 2023
    Earlier in February, a cormorant was rescued by the sanctuary who was found by local children wrapped in a fishing net. He was kept in rehabilitation for three days before being released back into the wild

    10. February, 2023
    Little White and Little Grey participate in research that is helping develop a prototype tag that will be used in scientific studies to gather information on wild Narwhal populations

    26. January, 2023
    Audrey Pagett has retired as the general manager for the Beluga Sanctuary

    18. January, 2023
    Blue whiting and squid have been additionally added to the belugas' daily food intake to help them adjust to a more varied diet if they choose to hunt their own fish in the bay

    5. January, 2023
    The Beluga Sanctuary now has their own boat that they will use to commute to and from the sea pen in Klettsvík bay. Their other boat was loaned by a contractor but ended up sinking hours before the belugas were supposed to be moved to the bay last August, which set the move back by months
     
    Gigit likes this.
  13. ketoflukes

    ketoflukes Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    21 Jun 2022
    Posts:
    50
    Location:
    Iceland
    Update (19.4.23). Read here

    The sanctuary has released a roadmap detailing the process of the beluga's acclimation into the bay for the next few years. Once they have spent this years summer in the bay, they will be brought inside for winter and returned to the bay again in spring 2024. This will be repeated each year and the time spent outdoors will be stretched further each summer until the belugas can confidently stay outside in the bay year round.

    I must say, I appreciate the transparency that the sanctuary has regarding this process. However, I am a little concerned on how the belugas will handle the stress of transports back and forth between the bay and the landside facility up to 2x a year. I trust that they have the whales best interest at heart though and will be doing anything they can to address any possible issues that might arise. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
     
    Gigit, TinoPup and ZooElephantMan like this.
  14. ketoflukes

    ketoflukes Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    21 Jun 2022
    Posts:
    50
    Location:
    Iceland
    Great News! (28.4.32) :D

    The belugas have finally been moved back into the sea pen in Klettsvík bay! The move has not been announced by the sanctuary at the time of this post (I assume to avoid crowding), but local news outlets reported the move happened this morning with one beluga transferred out and the second following shortly after, all occurring about an hour or two ago. I can also confirm this myself as I watched the transfer of the second whale on the islands live harbor cams. More updates to follow!

    Read More (needs translating).
     
    kiang and ZooElephantMan like this.