Beluga whales released into open water sanctuary

Beluga whales taste freedom

after living in captivity

Little Grey and Little White

were released into the world's first

open water sea sanctuary for beluga whales

Location: Klettsvik Bay, Iceland

Trainers prepared them for their new life

by teaching them to use rocks to exfoliate

feeding them properly and introducing them

to the flora and fauna of the bay

(SOUNDBITE) (English) MANAGER OF SEA LIFE TRUST BELUGA WHALE SANCTUARY, AUDREY PADGETT, SAYING:

"Little White and Little Grey are the first but certainly not the last belugas that we hope to have here in Klettsvik, we can house up to eight more beluga whales here so these girls are the ambassadors for this project."

The whales were also taught recall signals

so they can be brought back

to have regular health check-ups