Whale Jails being Investigated by Russian Government

Over 100 beluga whales, orcas, and baby walruses are currently awaiting their fate in icy, inadequate confinements called “whale jails.”

These “whale jails,” located in Russia’s Pacific East Coast, near the city of Nakhodka, have reportedly killed at least 3 of it’s trapped marine mammals. Designated to be sold to Chinese aquariums, these animals have spent months in small, rectangular pens.

Global outcry sparked the Russian government to take action and investigate the conditions in which the animals were forced to survive.

Stolen from the wild, almost all of the beluga whales are too young to thrive without their mothers. In addition to the deadly cold waters, these animals are forced to live on top of one another due to the tiny rectangular cells in which they are housed.

“Russian officials have charged four companies, which appear to be affiliated, for violating fishing laws. The companies have previously faced fines for illegal capture and have a history of selling animals to amusement parks abroad,”  CBS News said.

“No one objects to releasing the orcas, but the most important thing is to release them properly,” Ecology Minister Dmitry Kobylkin said.

All of the captured marine mammals will be rehabilitated, and those who are able will be released back into the wild.

For now, these animals must wait while authorities decide the best way to move them without causing any harm. Awaiting transportation, these belugas, orcas, and walruses desperately cling to their lives.