Five belugas were transported by plane and truck from Canada to their new home at Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut.
Five beluga whales made the journey from an overcrowded aquarium in Canada to their new home at Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut. Parts of their epic move were captured on video.
It started aboard a cargo plane designed to carry military tanks. Each whale was transported in a custom-designed container filled with sea water. Then, they were loaded onto a flatbed truck and brought to the aquarium with a police escort in the middle of the night.
The 10-foot belugas, which are an endangered species, were hoisted out of the containers by crane and lowered into a cart.
Staff wheeled the young whales, which range from 760 to 1,200 pounds, into the aquarium, where they were lowered and released into their new home, making quite a splash.
“It took enormous logistical coordination. And of course, if you imagine moving five whales is no easy feat,” Mystic Aquarium CEO Steve Coan said.
