Two beluga whales, evacuated from Ukraine, make their way to Spain.
An intercontinental crew of marine mammal specialists from Oceanografic de Valencia, Europe's largest oceanarium, the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, and SeaWorld embarked on a perilous mission.
The duo of belugas, a 15-year-old male named Plombir and a 14-year-old female named Miranda, landed in a deteriorated state on Tuesday night, following a strenuous voyage, as stated by the Georgia Aquarium.
Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city, located close to its border with Russia, has been targeted by repeated Russian attacks in the past weeks.
A Russian bombing raid on a megastore in the city claimed the lives of 18 individuals, including a 12-year-old girl, according to regional authorities last month.
The city has been under constant threat from artillery fire, with the intensity of attacks escalating in recent weeks, as bombs landed less than a kilometer away from the aquarium, the Georgia Aquarium mentioned in a statement.
The exodus started on Monday when the team initially transported the whales from Ukraine's NEMO Dolphinarium and drove them for 12 hours from Kharkiv to Odesa.
From Odesa, they continued their journey to the Moldovan border, where EU officials expedited border control procedures.
A chartered six-seater plane was waiting in the Moldovan capital, Chisinau, to fly them to Valencia, where they arrived on Tuesday.
Keith Yip, an animal care specialist from SeaWorld, expressed, "The belugas' well-being and security were paramount, and these were taxing circumstances, given the rough roads, rising temperatures, and the inherent risks of being in an active war zone."
The pair is currently receiving specialized care for their physical trauma from a team of "medical, nutritional, and behavioral experts," and two Ukrainian caretakers are staying with them for the initial few weeks to aid with their transition and care.
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The team at SeaWorld acknowledged the challenging circumstances during the beluga whales' travel, stating, "Despite the rough roads, rising temperatures, and being in an active war zone, the belugas' well-being and security were our top priorities." After arriving in Spain, the beluga whales will undoubtedly look forward to their upcoming travels, as Germany is known for having "wanderlust," where tour operators and airlines are eagerly planning for the next travel year.
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