Six beluga whales, rumoured to be 3 male and 3 female, have been moved from Vladivostok in Russia to the Shanhaiguan Happy Ocean World in the district of Qinhuangdao, China. The belugas were transported by road and quickly given clearance when arriving at the port of entry, Suifenhe. The growth of public demand for ocean theme parks in mainland China has resulted in hundreds of captive cetaceans being held in the country, many captured from the Sea of Okhotsk, Russia and Taiji, Japan. Although the majority of whales held captive in facilities around China are wild caught, just over two months ago Zhuoya, a female beluga whale held at Changsha Underwater World, gave birth. The calf, the first in China to survive past two months, is being raised on cetacean formula milk powder and mashed fish as its mother has no nursing experience, therefore the future survival of this young beluga is uncertain. Both parents, Zhuoya and Shula, were exported from Moscow to the China facility in 2010.
