Six beluga whales and the last two killer whales from Srednyaya Bay in the Primorye Territory were released near Cape Perovsky in the Khabarovsk Territory, according to the Russian Federal Research Institute of Fishery and Oceanography.

The marine mammals spent five days travelling from Srednyaya Bay to the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk, covering 1,800 km.

“Despite the difficulties on the road in Primorye due to pouring rain and Amur River flooding, the animals made it to the release site,” the website of the research institute reads.

After the experts carried out all the necessary work, such as finishing the re-adaptation process, taking analyses and attaching special satellite tags, they released the animals into the wild.

The two killer whales were the first ones to be set free. After they swam a safe distance away, the preparations for the beluga whales’ release began.

“We released them one by one right near the coast. First, a crane lowered the sling holding the animal onto a soft mat on the coast. There the scientists measured the beluga whales and took blood, tissue and breath tests. Then the crane lifted the sling and lowered it 1.5 m into the water, where two trainers helped the animal out of the sling so that its flippers would not get injured. The beluga whales went straight underwater, so it was impossible to monitor their movement visually. Two large whales received satellite tags that will show their location in the open sea,” the message reads.

To date all 10 killer whales from Srednyaya Bay have been released, with 75 beluga whales still remaining in captivity. The institute’s experts plan to release 15–20 whales at once and tag one beluga whale from every group.