2 Beluga Whales Get Rescued And You Can See just How Much It Means To Them
September 11, 2020
Two beluga whales were captured as babies and kept in captivity for years. But now, thanks to some determined rescuers, Little White and Little Grey are experiencing the ocean for the first time in their adult lives!
Most people wonder if animals have feelings and if they do, can they express what they feel the same way? Look no further than the big, toothy smiles on these whales, Little White and Little Grey.
RELATED: Orangutan Lost His Arms While Escaping Captivity But Has Such An Inspiring Comeback Story
Their smiles are proof! Especially since they seemed to know they were being freed from their former lives in captivity.
The stunning pair of beluga whales have returned to outdoor life after a 6,000 miles arduous trek back to the wild. The journey also included a ride on a Boeing 747 400ERF aircraft and harbor tugboat before being lowered into an outdoor tank that is connected to their forever home—the ocean. The animals instinctively knew they were being helped. It seemed as if they knew they were returning to their roots despite all the different ways they had traveled so far.
“The process was getting the belugas into a stretcher, out of their care pool, onto the back of a truck, two minutes to the tugboat, and the local tugboat here, onto the back of the tugboat, and then a five-minute journey out here,” Andy Bool, head of Sea Life Trust, said.
The moving of the whales into the first open water sanctuary was completed on Friday, August 7th. Here, after acclimating to sea life, they will be released into a 32,000 square mile sanctuary off the coast of Iceland.
Animal Rescue Story Of Little White & Little Grey Inspires
Captured as mere babies, the two beluga whales spent their lives performing tricks for treats in an aquarium in Shanghai for more than a decade. Rob Lott, Whale Dolphin Conservation Campaigner said, “Little White and Little Grey were taken from the wild when they were very young so Friday was a big day for them (and all of us) as they got to experience the ocean for the first time in their adult lives."
As they lowered the pair into the water, the smell of the salt in the air and the water below excited them. Their fins waved, their tales whipped, and they dived deep into the waters as their rescuers breathed a sigh of relief, said a little prayer, and gathered for a large group hug.
“It’s kind of the finish line for these two, but it’s a new chapter for belugas around the world,” explained Audrey Padgett, Sea Life Trust’s general manager.
What an inspiring story of restoring God’s creation! Thank God for people who have a passion for our cetacean friends.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Humpback Whales Crash Breakfast At Lodge
“So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good,” Genesis 1:21.
WATCH: Two Beluga Whales Rescued From Captivity
LISTEN: Woman Rescues Kitten Only To Realize She’s Brought Home A Bobcat
Source: The Animal Club
Featured Image: Daily Mail
Heather Riggleman is a believer, wife, mom, author, social media consultant, and full-time writer. She lives in Minden, Nebraska with her kids, high school sweetheart, and three cats who are her entourage around the homestead. She is a former award-winning journalist with over 2,000 articles published. She is full of grace and grit, raw honesty, and truly believes tacos can solve just about any situation. You can find her on GodUpdates, iBelieve, Crosswalk, Hello Darling, Focus On The Family, and in Brio Magazine. Connect with her at www.HeatherRiggleman.com or on Facebook.
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for Peace around the World This Christmas - Your Daily Prayer - December 3
As Christ's followers, we must also be FOR those who are in need, not content to live comfortably and blind to the spiritual war going on around us.
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for Peace around the World This Christmas - Your Daily Prayer - December 3
As Christ's followers, we must also be FOR those who are in need, not content to live comfortably and blind to the spiritual war going on around us.
Past Stories
- Family Receives Support From School and Community After Losing House in a Fire
- Soldier Reunites With His Military Dog Yyacob After Years Apart
- Chicago Man Discovers That The Owner Of The Bakery He Loved To Visit Was Actually His Mother
- Husband Pays For 40 Pet Adoptions At Shelter For His Wife's 40th Birthday
- Parents Find Healing After Loss of Son By Donating His Beloved Key Collection To Little Boy
- Mom Dances With Son At His Wedding After Being Placed in Hospice Care 2 Weeks Before
- Grandmother and Young Granddaughter Battling Cancer At the Exact Same Time
- Community Brings Christmas Joy to Virginia Woman With Just Weeks to Live
- Four Friends Recreate A Fun Vacation Photo From 50 Years Ago
- School in Arkansas Mourns the Loss of Their Beloved Emotional Support Dog Abby
- 93-Year-Old Has Made Sure To Attend Every High School Football Game Since 1946
- Texas Mom Doesn't Remember Delivering Triplets After Rare Complication After Birth
- United Airlines Pilot Buys Pizza For 155 Passengers After They Make An Unexpected Stop
- Teenager With Down Syndrome Enjoys Playing Kickball After Parents Organize Neighborhood Game
- Woman in Shock After Finding Winning Lottery Ticket At the Bottom of Her Purse
- Australian Couple Walks Into Their Bedroom To Find the Cutest Koala
- 5 Boys and Their Father Were Saved By Good Samaritan After Explosion
- Daughter of WWII Soldier Finally Learns What Happened To Him, 80 Years Later
- Sisters Scream With Joy Watching Their 4-Year-Old Sister Take Her First Steps
- Her Mom Put a Message in a Bottle As a Child, 26 Years Later Her Classmate Found It
- This Missouri School Was Renamed After Their Much Loved and Dedicated Custodian
- Michael Strahan's Daughter is Now Cancer Free and Has Taught Him All About Perseverance
- These Two Newlyweds Found Love in Their Late 90s, After Meeting At Their Retirement Home
- Sisters Who Were Adopted By Separate Families Nearly 40 Years Ago Reunite After DNA Tests
- Oldest Living Person in the US Passes Away at 115, After a Long and Faithful Life
- At Just 20 and 22 Years Old, These Two Sisters From Minnesota Saved Their Family Farm
- After Over 450 Days in a Shelter, Boone and Rellie Find Their Forever Home, Together
- Sweet Kitten Named Coraline Loses Both Her Eyes, but Inspires Many with Her Spirit
- Donny Osmond Sees the 'End of the Tunnel' Coming After Performing for Over 6 Decades
- An Iguana Hitches a Ride on a Garbage Truck in Tennessee, Now Trying to Find Its Owner
- 6-Year-Old Starts 'Poop Scooping' Business to Help Animals and Adopt One of His Own
- Bride's Dad Drops During Father-Daughter Dance, but Things Lined up Perfectly to Save His Life
- Young North Carolina Father Risked His Life To Save a Couple and Dog From a Sinking Truck
- UPS Driver Jumps into Action As He Spots Elderly Woman on the Ground & Says It Was All God
- Rescuer Braces for the Worst After Spotting Kitten on the Side of the Road, Then Sees a Paw Move
- AJ Griffin Gives Up High-Paying Career with NBA to Follow God
- These Former Conjoined Twins Finally Go Home After Their First Birthday
- Teenager From Iowa Uses His Flying Skills to Help Hurricane Helene Victims
- Son Saves For 9 Months and Surprises Mom By Paying Off Her Mortgage
- Woman's Home is Surrounded By 100 Raccoons, and They Aren't Leaving Anytime Soon
- Dog Saves Her Owner's Life By Sitting in the Middle of the Road
- Widower Shares the Last Thing His Wife Told Their Son Before She Passed Away From Cancer
- A Nurse Saved Her Life 35 Years Ago, Now, She is Surprising Her With a Visit
- These Twin Sisters Have An Important Message To Share On Their 102nd Birthday
- This Brave 5-Year-Old Saved Her Mother's Life By Calling 911
- 79-Year-Old Broke Her Ankle After Scattering Her Mom's Ashes, Then Strangers Save the Day
- Dad Travels Through Mud and Debris to Walk His Daughter Down the Aisle
Top Music Videos
The Statler Brothers 'Til the Storm Passes By' The Statler Brothers Live Performance
Gaither Vocal Band Gaither Vocal Band - Mary, Did You Know? [Live]
Anne Wilson Anne Wilson Captivates with Heartfelt 'My Jesus' Live Performance
CCM Magazine 3 Doors Down’s Brad Arnold Shares Message of Faith During Nashville Concert
CCM Magazine Randall Goodgame’s ‘Scripture Hymnal’ | ‘In The Beginning’
Blogs
At GodTube, you’ll find daily inspirational videos to lift your spirits and encourage you in your walk with God. Popular videos include worship music from your favorite Christian artists, cute videos with adorable kids and animals, hilarious videos from Christian comedians, user-uploaded videos, and clean viral videos to brighten your day.