The two belugas currently held at Changfeng Ocean World in Shanghai, China are to be moved to a sanctuary in the Westman Islands, Iceland.
UK based Merlin Entertainments acquired the Chinese facility in 2012. Attempts had been made previously to source a location off the coast of Russia, however no suitable location could be found and the search was widened to include Iceland. If everything goes to plan construction on the sanctuary will begin this winter. Whilst this is very welcome news, it sadly comes too late for the JunJun who died earlier this year aged 17, however for the two remaining female belugas, Xiao Bai and Xiao Hui, captured from the wild in the White Sea, Russia in 2008/2009, it means they will hopefully after nearly a decade in a tank, have the opportunity to live in more natural surroundings in a sanctuary setting.
