As in previous times, animals are transported by experienced veterinarians, trainers and transportation specialists, as well as employees of the Russian Federal Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography and its Pacific branch. According to veterinarians, orcas are ready for transportation.
The complex and technological loading operation is over. Specialists, who will accompany the animals throughout the journey, being with them in the transport baths, are familiar to orcas, which is very important so as not to cause additional stress to marine mammals.
The past two release operations ended successfully. Scientists continue to track the movement of animals using satellite tags. However, it was found that even animals that live side by side for a year do not necessarily stick together. The young female from the previous release now travels separately from her older mates.
In light of this, on the one hand, it was difficult to expect that animals that lived in different enclosures and did not see each other in the wild would gather in one group, especially since they were originally from different families. However, the animals from the first and second release are currently in close proximity to each other and move synchronously, which suggests that they are united.
All this once again shows how individual each case of readaptation and behavior of an animal is.
According to forecasts, the weather conditions at the place of release of marine mammals in the Sakhalin Bay will be favorable, unrest is not expected.
The release will take place next week; the event will be attended by representatives of Greenpeace and Russian television channels.
VNIRO Press Service
