Two Orcas Have Been Captured In Russia

URGENT NEWS from our friends at SaveDolphins.net:

Two orcas have been captured in Russia - fishermen are using firearms to prevent Sakhalin group "Ocean Friends" to collect the evidence.

For the first time in Russia, public monitoring over the capture of killer whales is being conducted. The “Ocean Friends” group arrived to the capture location and set up a camp near the fishermen base in the Nicholay Bay, Khabarovsk region. A group of volunteers performs public monitoring of the capture of killer whales, for claimed "educational purposes," but in fact for sale to overseas aquariums (15 killer whales and about 200 belugas have been sold to China over the past 5 years). The attempt to film fishermen boats with a drone almost ended with the loss of it when they opened fire to prevent filming.

After lunch, the ship "Yuri Shvetsov" came to the Nicholay Bay - two captured orcas were kept in the containers on board. Four containers for transportation of animals are installed on the ship. The captain of the ship refused to let “Ocean Friends” team on board and check on condition of the orcas.

When “Yuri Shvetsov" ship started to go south at a fast pace “Ocean Friends” followed them and tried to take a footage with a video camera mounted on a pole, but fishermen had nozzles ready to prevent it. Also, the group received an oral threat that firearms will be used if they try to fly drones again.

At the end of the day “Ocean Friends” monitored and photo identified a pod of transient orcas that swam peacefully in Nicholay Bay and did not suspect a possible threat to their offspring. The family included seven individuals - they were hunting seals.

All updates on this expedition will be published under hashtag #orcacapture2018 on social media platforms by Save Dolphins and Ocean Friends. Please follow along as your voice may be needed soon!

Information: Save Dolphins

Image: Ocean Friends