MOSCOW, August 2. /TASS/. Three orcas that were held in the Srednyaya Bay, Primorsky Region, have been delivered to the port of Khabarovsk where they will be reloaded to a vessel heading for the region's north, representative for the Russian Research Institute of Fishery and Oceanography Alexei Smorodov told TASS on Friday.
"The orcas have been delivered to the port. There were no incidents on the way. The coaches and veterinarians are monitoring the animals’ condition. Ice was added during a stop; the temperature of water is comfortable for the orcas," the source said.
Earlier the loading of orcas from enclosures to vehicles was detained until late evening due to the heat in the Primorsky Region. The cargo convoy is being followed by activists from the international public organization Greenpeace. The orcas’ transportation is being carried out under a tried-out scheme: the Srednyaya Bay - Khabarovsk - Nikolayevsk-on-Amur - the shore of the Sea of Okhotsk. The trip from the Srednyaya Bay to the Sea of Okhotsk will take five to six days.
The orcas and beluga whales
A total of 90 beluga whales and 11 orcas were caught to be later sold to China. Consequently three beluga whales and one orca got lost. According to investigators, the mammals were captured unlawfully, and a criminal case was opened into the illegal seizure of bioresources.
These animals have been gradually transported to the Shantar Islands since late June this year for release to the wild. The first group of mammals, consisting of two orcas and six beluga whales, was taken to the Shantar Islands area on June 20, and on June 27 they were released into the sea. The second group, consisting of three whales, was released on July 16.