KHABAROVSK (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th July, 2019) One more batch of orcas who were rescued from the notorious "whale jail" in Russia's Far East were delivered to Cape Perovsky in Khabarovsk Region where they will be released into the wild, a representative of the Vostochnoye group, which assists in transporting the animals, told Sputnik.
"The last car with orcas left Innokentievka [village on Monday evening]. The cars have already reached Cape Perovsky, where [the orcas] will be released into the wild," the representative said.
The first two orcas and six belugas were set free into the Sea of Okhotsk on June 27. All eight animals survived their transportation to the Khabarovsk Region, while experts feared that some of the mammals might die along the way.
The story about orcas and belugas being held in deplorable conditions in Srednyaya Bay made headlines last fall after Greenpeace sounded the alarm and warned that the animals were allegedly supposed to be smuggled to China.
An investigation into the matter was launched, and a local court later ruled that the sea mammals had been caught illegally. The companies responsible for the violation were reportedly fined a total of 150 million rubles ($2.4 million).
