VALENCIA, Spain — On Monday, Georgia Aquarium staff joined an international effort to rescue two beluga whales from the NEMO Dolphinarium in Kharkiv, Ukraine as the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia threatened the safety of the city’s aquarium.
According to a release from the Georgia Aquarium, the two whales were evacuated from Ukraine to Valencia, Spain in a joint effort by the Georgia Aquarium, Oceanogràfic de Valencia and SeaWorld, who collaborated with the NEMO Dolphinarium to get the whales out safely.
“The city is facing increasing threat from artillery fire, which has intensified in recent weeks, with bombs dropping within a few hundred meters of the aquarium,” the release said, calling the area “war-ravaged.”
Aquarium officials said the rescue operation was complicated and presented multiple challenges that had to be met with multi-national collaboration.
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The two beluga whales, 15-year-old Plombir and 14-year-old Miranda, were taken to Valencia in delicate health the night of June 18, according to the Georgia Aquarium.
Before takeoff to go to Spain, the whales had to be transported across the warzone in Ukraine on a 12-hour drive from Kharkiv to Odesa.
In Odesa, the Georgia Aquarium said Ukrainian caregivers for the whales met the international team who would be transporting the two belugas to conduct health checks before moving the whales to the Moldova border.
At the border, officials said the European Anti-Fraud Office helped speed up their border crossing to get them to a chartered plane waiting for them in Chisinau, which then flew them to Spain.
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In the air, the team worked to keep the whales calm and in good condition on their way to Valencia.
“This courageous rescue constitutes a historic milestone worldwide in terms of animal protection. It is an honor that the Oceanogràfic has rescued these two belugas from the horror of the war in Ukraine. They have experienced a difficult situation in recent months, and the experts at Oceanogràfic will be working intensely to help them recover,” president of the Valencia region Generalitat Valenciana, Carlos Mazón, said.
Oceanogràfic de Valencia is the biggest aquarium in Europe, and officials said it was the only one on the continent that has beluga whales in its facilities. The aquarium is also the closest, by distance, marine conservation center to Ukraine, with multiple organizations providing it with accreditation for animal welfare.
“The war has caused food, energy and medicine shortages, reducing access to other basic necessities for animal care as well as technical supplies necessary for the logistics of such a sensitive rescue,” Dr. Daniel Garcia-Párraga, director of zoological operations at Oceanogràfic de Valencia said. “The belugas have a suboptimal body condition to undertake this type of trip, but if they had continued in Kharkiv, their chances of survival would have been very slim.”
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the NEMO Dolphinarium has evacuated multiple animals, including seals, sea lions and dolphins. However, officials said moving belugas is “an extremely complex logistical operation due to their size and specific needs” and the evacuation needed months of planning and preparation.
“The complexities of this evacuation were immense, and we have been working for weeks to prepare for it. I’m humbled to have been trusted to provide the belugas care and protection during their long journey to their new home. My heart is with the Ukrainian caregivers and the people of Kharkiv who had to say goodbye to Miranda and Plombir. It’s not an easy thing to do, but it was best for them. I’m proud to have played a role in helping them,” Dennis Christen, senior director of animal wellbeing & behavior, Georgia Aquarium said.
Now that they’re at Oceanogràfic de Valencia, a specialized team of medical, nutritional and behavioral experts will be helping the whales recover “from the traumas they have endured.” Two Ukrainian caregivers will be staying with them for the first weeks of their stay in Valencia to help with the transition, officials said.
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