Organisations including Marine Connection are delighted with the news that online travel company Expedia has adjusted their animal welfare policy and will no longer be selling holidays that involve performances by or interactions with captive dolphins and whales. Expedia intends to complete the process by 2022 who now joins a list of other tour operators/holiday companies including Virgin and British Airways who no longer profit from such cruelty and sell tickets to such attractions and experiences. Fingers crossed travel giants like TUI will follow suit.
On another positive note, Lotte World in South Korea has confirmed that it plans to send its lone female beluga whale, Bella (who is approx. nine years of age), to a sanctuary next year although to which sanctuary has not been confirmed. There is currently the Icelandic facility with two ex-captive beluga whales and the Nova Scotia sanctuary which will not be ready to accept retired captive whales for at least another year.
Wild-caught Bella was imported from Russia in 2014 with two male belugas – both of which sadly are now dead.
