4/3/2023 0 Comments Whale sharks 3d model![]() ![]() Regina Crosby added: “Hvaldimir seeks out the company of humans and has lived at salmon farms for the past three years which appears to give him a sense of belonging and safety.” She said that while the salmon farms had been kind to him, “it’s also not their responsibility to provide long-term care for a beluga whale”, so OneWhale was liaising daily with the farms “to help keep Hvaldimir safe and the farms happy”. ![]() ![]() If something were to happen at the salmon farm and he was blamed for it, then he’d be euthanised straight away, they’d have no qualms about that at all.” Things like that, while they’re cute, are pretty frustrating to salmon farms. And so one of his tricks is to wrap a rope around the propeller. “One of his jobs in the past has clearly been to mess about with boats and propellers. “We have to constantly monitor Hvaldimir and make sure he is not causing a nuisance at the salmon farms where he likes to hang out,” Thorpe explained. Norway has a track record of doing this the government recently came under fire for euthanising Freya the walrus after it drew crowds of tourists near a fjord. There is a fear that the whale could be euthanised if he continues to trouble salmon farmers. It has even attracted the interest of Netflix, which is in talks with Crosby about a film documenting the whale and his journey from captivity, to danger at sea, to a sanctuary. “There are no salmon farms on the reserve and there are no boats coming in and out, eliminating the risk of propeller injuries.”īut while the project began as a small operation, with just Thorpe and Crosby trying to protect Hvaldimir, it has grown into a larger non-profit project, with world-leading scientists, vets and conservationists on its board, working to create the sanctuary. “By telling the story of this whale we can also offer a reserve to other formerly captive whales,” he said. Thorpe thinks this would be better than some suggestions from zoologists, that whales such as Hvaldimir be kept in a tank in captivity. The project hopes to enable the whales to hunt for themselves and interact with one another, and finally to be released back into the wild. ![]() The reserve would be big enough to take a number of whales that have been trained by humans and are used to captivity. OneWhale has been working with the local government in Hammerfest, and has partnered with the community to create the reserve, if OneWhale can raise the funds – £250,000 to get the nets to secure the space, create basic accommodation for staff to stay nearby and monitor the inhabitants, as well as a veterinary laboratory to provide care. I thought, well, if we could create a sanctuary or a reserve, which protects the whale from boat traffic, it means that he can fish for himself and live as natural a life as possible.” He has clearly been domesticated and has a wonderful personality. “I read about him in the National Geographic in 2019, and found it concerning. “Everybody has fallen in love with this whale from YouTube viral videos,” said Thorpe. He teamed up with film-maker Regina Crosby, who said she had to act after going to film the distressed whale. Former property mogul Adam Thorpe set up the charity OneWhale, which currently funds the monitoring and protection of Hvaldimir and has financed studies which are allowing the sanctuary to be created. Work on the 500-acre reserve, near the town of Hammerfest, is due to start early next year. A British entrepreneur was so touched by his story he is now trying to raise funds to create the world’s first open-water whale sanctuary in the Norwegian fjords. But now his fortunes could be set to change. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |