14 DAY TRIAL // Presently, the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, US, is waiting for the National Marine Fisheries Service to grant it permission to bring in as many as 12 beluga whales whose sole purpose will be that of providing entertainment for the visitors to this facility.
Seeing how these marine mammals, which are soon to call the Georgia Aquarium their home, will be wild caught, and not captivity bred, both environmentalists and conservationists voiced their complaints against removing the beluga whales from their natural habitats just so that they could be stared at by people.
The US Humane Society decided to take things one step further and started an online petition intended to keep the Georgia Aquarium from being granted permission to import the 12 beluga whales.
Global Animal informs us that what worries conservationists first and foremost is the fact that, in order for these marine mammals to reach the Georgia Aquarium, they would have to travel as much as 6,000 miles (9,656 kilometers) by plane.
It is not difficult to guess that such an experience could prove to be most stressful for them, given the fact that the containers they would be placed in would considerably limit their movements and the noise coming from the plane's engines would also interfere with their psychological wellbeing.
In order to safeguard the beluga whales presently living in the wild, the US Humane Society suggests that the Georgia Aquarium should look into the possibility of providing a new home for several such marine mammals presently living in less than suitable conditions at Marine Land, in Canada.
Should the Georgia Aquarium agree to rescue the beluga's currently living at the aforementioned facility, it would have something to show its visitors and it would also help protect this endangered species.
Those wishing to sign the petition started by the US Humane Society can do so here.