Whale Prison: Three New Orcas have been Released

As
one witness recalls :

«The orcas were ready to go to sea immediately after they were back in the water. A floating pen had been prepared, but it did was not necessary. They were released from their containers directly offshore, the three orcas were seen circling near to the shore in a tight formation, appearing once then plunging below the surface. It was amazing !»

It
is difficult indeed to imagine the immense happiness of these
prisoners who have finally found the ocean after a year of suffering.
But if this operation is to be announced as a success, it has not
always been the case, alas, previous transfers were not the same.

On June 20th, the first convoy

On
June 20^th,
the first convoy left Srednyaya Bay for the Shantar Islands region,
taking with it three orcas and six beluga whales. They had endured a
particularly difficult journey. We saw images of one beluga being
lifted by a crane and leaving a puddle of blood on the floor.
Cetaceans were thrown into the sea like objects, while their muscles
were still stiff from the long days spent under the sun in metal
containers. These terrible scenes have aroused the indignation of
experts and from social media. And yet, if we are to believe the
satellite beacons, the three orcas released then would have taken the
right direction, away from their place of capture.

July 16th, a second disturbing transfer

Since
then, orders from above have been administered, because on July 16^th,
the second transfer was less brutal. This time there were only three
orcas. The journey was faster and their release was partially filmed.
Two adult orcas have in turn returned to freedom. They unfortunately
had to leave behind little Alexandra, too fearful, too attached to
humans no doubt, to dare to follow them off. She begged the fishermen
for a few days for her fish, but according to the most recent
information, she is now heading for Sakhalin and feeding by herself.

August 1st, beginning of the third transfer of orcas

It
ended six days later with the obviously successful release of Tihon,
Gaika and Zoya, released into the Okhotsk Sea. For the first time,
observers from Greenpeace Russia were able to monitor the release
process. Pampered like queens, the orcas even had the privilege of
being refreshed by ice in their container. They departure in
formation, straight out to sea, gives hope for the best in regards to
the success of their journey.

A fourth release is coming

Two
orcas and eighty-one belugas are still waiting in their enclosures of
the whale prison. In the coming days, a fourth release is planned.
There is not much time left until winter, but there are still a lot
of captive beluga whales waiting to be counted again, and their
future is very worrying.

Concerns
also, rumours that tell us that besides Cyril, a second killer whale
would have died in his enclosure or that a beluga whale was found
floating not far from the beach. Some even claim that the two belugas
recently flown to the first Tibetan Dolphinarium were part of the
June convoy.

Entrusting
the rehabilitation of the ten orcas and the 87 belugas to their
former kidnappers, under the complicit supervision of the scientific
institute VNIRO with the Russian justice system, there was bound to
be some resistance or sabotage.

It
is good that President Putin is vigilant, especially with animal
rights defenders and international opinions.
Regardless
of the concerns that follow-on from releases, especially from
belugas, One Voice is pleased to see eight orcas already making
successful inroads to their group and their families. The «Russian
method» is certainly cavalier but sometimes it works !