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Vancouver Sun, Friday, March 18, 2004
BY NICHOLAS READ
Beluga cool to B.C. males may go to SeaWorld to mate
VANCOUVER I One of the Vancouver Aquarium’s six beluga whales may
be on her way to the U.S. soon in the hope that she’ll get pregnant
there. Allua, a 20-year-old female, has never had a calf during
the time she’s lived at the aquarium, but aquarium officials hope
that will change with a change of scene.
SeaWorld, which owns marine parks in San Diego, San Antonio, Tex.
and Orlando, Fla., as well as half of all the beluga whales held
in captivity, has applied to the U.S. National Marine Fisheries
Service for a permit to import Allua into one of those three parks.
If permission is granted, says Clint Wright, aquarium vice-president
of operations and animal management, Allua could be on her way south
before the end of the year.
“It’s down to SeaWorld to decide when and if they can take her,”
Wright said.
SeaWorld already has one aquarium whale, a male, in its breeding
program in San Diego. Nanuq was moved there in 1997. But since then,
says Wright, he hasn’t sired any calves.
“He’s been with females down there, but he hasn’t done anything,
or the females haven’t been interested.”
The situation is much the same with Allua, who has been physically
capable of breeding for the last 10 years, says Wright, but has
never become pregnant.
“Basically, she doesn’t seem to be interested in the males we have
here. She tends to keep away from them and doesn’t seem to show
any interest in them.”
Since the departure of Nanuq, the aquarium has kept only one adult
male, Imaq, in Stanley Park. He has sired two calves, Quila, a female
born in 1995, and Tumaq, a male born in 2002.
Wright says it’s hoped that by exposing Allua to other males, the
chances of her getting pregnant will improve.
Coalition for No Whales in Captivity spokeswoman Annelise Sorg
said it was wrong for the aquarium to trade whales back and forth
for breeding.
“It’s outrageous that the captive whale industry continues to think
that it is appropriate to trade and breed whales and dolphins when
the public has already stated that large, intelligent, social animals
like this should not be kept in captivity for entertainment and
profit.”
Sorg also rejected Wright’s assertion that the aquarium would receive
no money for sending Allua to SeaWorld, saying she expects the aquarium
“will be receiving a nice big cheque from SeaWorld.”
In 2001, the aquarium’s last remaining orca, Bjossa, was sent to
SeaWorld San Diego.
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