New York Aquarium News
A Whale of an Airlift
On Sunday the sixth of November, the New York Aquarium said a final goodbye to beluga whales Natasha, Maris, and Marina, as they embarked on the first leg of their journey to Georgia. The hefty trio traveled by crane, truck, and plane to reach the new Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, where they will soon be joining two males originally from Russia in an 800,000-gallon pool. This relocation is part of a national cooperative breeding program that aims to boost the beluga collection in accredited North American zoos and aquariums. (To read more about this effort, click here) The transfer from the whales’ Coney Island home required cooperation among Aquarium trainers and keepers, maintenance staff, and WCS veterinarians—as well as from the belugas themselves, whose habituation to human contact made them natural travelers. The whales are now adjusting to their new digs down south. We can only hope that they will be as sweet and gracious as they have been with Aquarium staff in New York when they are introduced to their new male companions, Nico and Gasper!
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At the helm of her journey, a beluga swims a final lap around her New York Aquarium home. |
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