Encounters with beluga whales have become more frequent in the Primorye Territory. According to experts, these are the marine mammals from Srednyaya Bay in Primorye released in Uspeniya Bay in November 2019. The whales were only about one year old when caught back in 2018. They spent another year in captivity where they got used to humans. After their release, the inquisitive whales still look for humans, according to VL.ru – Vladivostok News.

Most of the released whales now live near the Primorye coast where they have a good food supply. They don’t seem to mind warm water, swimming into bays and coming near people.

Experts recommend that people living in Primorye be careful around the marine mammals: don’t play with them, feed them, or swim near them.

“Please follow the experts’ recommendations on marine mammals: don’t touch beluga whales, don’t swim with them, and don’t try to feed them.

“It is very important to help them adapt to their new life, to become wild and free again. Such actions as feeding, touching or following them can end tragically. The whales will seek human contact and ask for food, which can be used to catch and hold them in captivity. Unsuspecting whales might approach boats, which can have grave consequences.

“To put it briefly, we should be glad that the whales have survived and settled in the Primorye Territory so that they can create a robust population here. However, people should not interfere in the life of wild animals,” the message reads.