Beluga stranded in Korea as transfer plan deemed unfeasible

Beluga whale Bella is now unlikely to be released from her solitary water tank in a Seoul aquarium after a long-discussed transfer plan has been deemed unrealistic, six years after it was first promised.

Bella has been kept at Lotte World Aquarium in Seoul since 2014. She was one of three belugas imported from Russia when the aquarium opened, but the other two died in 2016 and 2019, prompting accusations that her current environment is not suitable. Bella's tank is only 7.5 meters deep and less than 1 kilometer long, significantly restricting the marine mammal's activities.

An advisory committee formed in 2020, bringing together experts and civic groups, explored returning Bella to Russia or relocating her to an overseas sea sanctuary. However, all options have since run into major obstacles, advisers said.

Plans to send her back to Russia collapsed following the war in Ukraine and a lack of cooperation from Russian authorities.

Efforts to relocate Bella to a marine sanctuary abroad have also faltered.

A site in Iceland was ruled out because of climate conditions and logistical difficulties, while a Canadian sanctuary, long considered the last viable option, raised concerns that noise from nearby orcas could cause severe stress to Bella.

Some experts added that alternatives to release should now be considered.

Lotte World Aquarium, however, reportedly said it remains committed to releasing the whale.

This year marks the deadline previously set by the company for Bella’s transfer during a parliamentary audit in 2023. Former aquarium director Ko Jeong-rak said at the time that the company was working with overseas partners to complete the transfer process by 2026.