Little While & Little Grey, beluga whales; Credit: SEA LIFE TRUST BELUGA WHALE SANCTUARY

Following the announcement in early January that Cargolux are to transport two Beluga whales from China to Iceland in a collaboration with SEALIFE Trust, today Cargolux opened their cargo hangae to journalists who could see at close hand details of the complex operation.

Cargolux was appointed the official transport partner working with the trust and project partner, Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC), to help move two beluga whales, Little Grey and Little White, 6,000 miles from China to Iceland in Spring 2019.

A specially branded plane has been unveiled which features Little Grey and Little White on a Boeing 747-400ERF freighter. The plane will help transport the two whales along with a care team to the world’s first open water sanctuary for beluga whales.

The complex journey will see the two belugas move from Changfeng Ocean World in Shanghai, China, via land, air and eventually by sea to the large sanctuary in a natural bay at Heimaey, one of the Westman Islands, located off the southern coast of Iceland.

The secluded bay, will be the world’s first open water sanctuary for beluga whales in a ground-breaking global marine welfare project. The bay, which measures up to 32,000 sqm with a depth of up to 10m has been chosen to provide a more natural sub-Arctic environment and wild habitat for these amazing whales to call home.
The complex logistical challenge of transporting two beluga whales by air, land and sea is being carefully planned by a team of global experts with experience in transporting marine mammals. The 6,000-mile journey will take around 24 hours to complete - from the time Little Grey and Little White leave Changfeng Ocean World in Shanghai and arrive at the sanctuary on Heimaey Island.

1. The journey will begin at Changfeng Ocean World in Shanghai. Each beluga will be individually lifted onto specially designed stretchers measured to their physical requirements and carefully placed into specially built transportation boxes before they are lifted out of the aquarium by crane and placed carefully into two lorries

2. Little Grey and Little White will then travel by road, from Changfeng Ocean World to Pu Dong International airport, where a specially chartered cargo plane will be waiting on the runway to fly them to Keflavik Airport in Iceland

3. Following the flight, Little Grey and Little White will be transferred on to two individual lorries on a two hour drive from the airport to the ferry port and then transported by ferry from the airport to Heimaey, a crossing that takes around 30 minutes

 4. Once the ferry has docked on Heimaey Island, the lorries will drive a short distance to the town of Vestmannaeyjar where Little Grey and Little White will be transferred to the beluga sanctuary landside facility and placed into a special care pool so they can be assessed following their journey.