Rushed Release Bodes Ill for Russian Whales

The International Marine Mammal Project (IMMP) of Earth Island Institute has been one of the lead organizations working globally to help return the Whale Jail whales of Russia to their home Sea of Okhotsk. We’ve received new word from our Russian colleagues about the recent release of eight whales that bodes ill for the release effort.

The Russian Fisheries Ministry (VNIRO) reported that the two orcas and six beluga whales, that had been trucked and floated 1,120 miles to the Sea of Okhotsk where they were originally captured last summer, have been released into the sea.

But IMMP has learned from our Russian colleagues that the release was hurried and did not allow for orcas or belugas to spend time recovering from the truck transport and acclimating to the surroundings before being released to the wild. There was no indication that wild whales were present, and early reports indicated that some of the releasees are not doing well.

Local groups are protesting to the Russian government that the release is lacking transparency and has not followed recommended protocols to safeguard the whales and give them the best chance to reintegrate with their home pods. Previous cetacean releases fared best when the released animals were released in close proximity to wild pods of whales. It is also unclear that the released whales, having been fed on dead fish for more than a year in captivity, can locate prey.

Questions are being raised about what this means for these animals, as well as the ones left behind in the whale jail.

Overall, the transport and release were done in complete secrecy, without any local Russian conservationists or international scientists involvement. Our Russian colleagues have repeatedly raised this issue to the government.

The whales, part of the ten orcas and 87 beluga whales being held in Russia’s notorious Whale Jail in the town of Nakhodka, were originally meant to be sold to aquariums in China. But the Russian government, bowing to concerns raised by Russian conservationists and international celebrities and scientists, coordinated by IMMP, agreed that the capture permits were issued illegally, and instead of issuing export permits, have claimed all the whales will be returned to the Sea of Okhotsk. However, our Russian contacts stress that there are no guarantees that all the whales will be released and given adequate chance to re-unite with their family pods.

We will continue to monitor the situation and report on findings by our colleagues in Russia. Please check back for further updates.

Photo by Harry Rabin.

Please consider a generous donation to support our efforts to return the Whale Jail whales to their homes and families. We are working with international scientists and Russian conservationists to ensure the release goes forward in the best possible way and to ensure no further whale captures take place.