Is Russia's whale jail fact or fiction?

In December 2018 the media was abuzz with the story of a ‘whale jail’ that was discovered in the southeast of Russia, near the city of Nakhodka. The international ban on commercial whale hunting was implemented in 1986 by the International Whale Commission. The ban came about as a result of declining whale numbers in most species.

After information was first published by the independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta. This article revealed that over 100 whales were being held illegally, in direct violation to the international ban on commercial whale hunting. The captured whales are made up of 11 orca and approximately 90 beluga.

A report by The Telegraphs stipulated that experts believe the trapped cetaceans are thought to be mainly infants. This is due to the volume of whales per pen, despite the capturing of whale calfs being absolutely illegal. The motive behind the jail is rumoured for the sale of the animals to China for entertainment purposes.

Russian prosecutors are currently investigating the situation as to whether the whales were captured for educational or scientific reasons. It has been revealed, by the Novaya Gazeta, that four companies are behind the capture and export plans for the animals. The Telegraph reports that these same companies are renting the enclosure and have exported 13 orcas to China between 2013 and 2016. An orca can cost upward of $6 million (R86,404,560) in the marine park industry that is booming in China.

The facts of the story have been called into question but unfortunately the story is true and the whale jail does exist. Over a million people have signed an online petition calling for the whales to be released. You can sign or see the petition here.