2 beluga whales struggled to contain their excitement as they got transported from a Chinese aquarium to a new open-water refuge in China.
The entire moment was caught in images, which speak thousands of words.
Little Grey and Little White were at the Ocean World in Shanghai for nearly a decade where they were forced to perform tricks.
They were forced to take part in shows in exchange for fish, which they eat.
Before they were at the Ocean World in Shanghai, China, they were at a research centre in Russia.
The name of the research centre is not known.
The Beluga whales were rescued by UK-based charity Sea Life Trust.
Sea Life Trust said in a statement:
Little Grey and Little White are now in their bayside care pool and will need a short period of time to acclimatise to their new natural environment and all the outdoor elements before their final release into the wider sanctuary in Klettsvik Bay in the Westman Islands off the south coast of Iceland. The expert team and the independent vets were with Little Grey and Little White throughout the move and said they are healthy and are feeding after the short trip from their landside care facility back to the sea.
The charity shipped the 2 whales 6,000 miles away to a new house in Iceland.
The whales will now swim in the open ocean for the first time in years!
They’ll first go to a refuge in Klettsvik Bay, which is located off the south coast of Iceland.
They will be released into their new massive sanctuary afterward.
Andy Bool, the head of the Sea Life Trust, released a statement about the incident and said:
We’re absolutely delighted to be able to share the news that Little Grey and Little White are safely in their sea sanctuary care pools and are just one step away from being released into their open water home. Following extensive planning and rehearsals, the first stage of their release back to the ocean was as smooth as we had hoped and planned for.
Little Grey and Little White, both female, were placed in specially designed slings that helped experts protect their bodies when they were being shipped from China to their new house.
They were transported in a lorry, a Boeing 747-400ERF cargo aircraft, and a harbor tugboat.
The beluga whales arrived in Iceland safe and sound.