MADRID, June 20 (Reuters) - Marine biologists have moved a pair of beluga whales from the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv - the target of daily shelling by Russian forces - to the eastern Spanish city of Valencia, in what they described as a long and risky international rescue operation.
The animals, 15-year-old male Plombir and 14-year-old female Miranda, arrived at Valencia’s famed Oceanografic complex late on Monday in a fragile state of health, according to a statement by the Spanish oceanarium.
As much as I think these animals should not be held in captivity, seeing Beluga whales in Valencia years ago left a deep impression on me.
They have a large underwater window where you can try to interact with them if it isn’t too crowded. Maybe I was more impressionable back then, but these animals are incredibly smart, almost an alien experience.
For anyone who wants a demonstration of how awesome beluga whales are…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZS_6-IwMPjM