Welcome to the world's first Beluga Whale Sanctuary!
Say hello to our beautiful beluga whales Little Grey and Little White!
Like us, they’re very social creatures and love to chat in their special language of clicks, whistles and bangs. Despite their enormous appetite, beluga whales are actually one of the smallest whale species, weighing in at around 1,000kg.

Whales in the wild
The journey began on 19th June, 2019 at Changfeng Ocean World in Shanghai
- Each beluga was individually lifted on to specially designed stretchers, measured to their physical requirements, and carefully placed into especially built transportation tanks, before being lifted out of the aquarium by crane and loaded into two lorries
- Little Grey and Little White travelled by road from Changfeng Ocean World to Pu Dong International airport where a specially branded cargo plane, very generously donated by Cargolux Airlines, was waiting on the runway, ready to fly them to Keflavik Airport in Iceland
- Following the flight, Little Grey and Little White were transferred on to two individual lorries and driven to catch a ferry from Landeyjahöfn to Heimaey Island, which took around 35 minutes to complete
- Once the ferry docked on Heimaey Island, the lorries drove the short distance to Klettsvik Bay where Little Grey and Little White were transferred to the beluga sanctuary landside facility and placed into a special care pool for assessment following their journey.

We're Making Waves
In partnership with Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC), we created the world’s first open water sanctuary for rehomed belugas. An open water sanctuary that gives whales a safe space to swim, explore and interact freely in their natural environment.
The sanctuary in Klettsvik Bay, Iceland, is part of our Little Steps programme that cares for whales and dolphins around the world. We continually monitor Little Grey and Little White to make sure they’re fit and healthy in their new home.
Please donate here

Having travelled more than 6,000 miles
By land, sea and air to Iceland, Little Grey and Little White’s journey continues to inspire after the whales took a first swim in their new sanctuary home.

This moment is a huge leap forward
For the future whale and dolphin conservation and a landmark for everyone at Merlin Entertainments, who have been involved or followed this story every step of the way.

Support Little White and Little Grey
We're so grateful for everyone's support so far, but SEA LIFE Trust’s care for these whales is far from over. Each month the cost to the SEA LIFE Trust Beluga Whale Sanctuary is £37,000. To help us, we appreciate all the help we can get.

Follow the journey
Watch Little Grey and Little White’s incredible journey in John Bishop’s Great Whale Rescue available now on ITV Hub.

Follow their Journey
The SEA LIFE Trust is pleased to confirm that the two beluga whales, Little Grey and Little White, have taken their first swim in their open water sanctuary home in Iceland. Carefully monitored by the whales’ expert care team, Little Grey and Little White were released for the first time to fully explore the natural surroundings of the wider sanctuary at Klettsvik Bay on Heimaey, one of the Westman Islands off the south coast of Iceland.

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