LET THEM GO

Russia Will Free 100 Caged Whales After International Fury

They include around a dozen orcas.

It's a story that puts Free Willy to shame. Russian authorities have decided to free not just one, but nearly 100 whales being kept in cages. Images of the whales, kept in cramped enclosures in the far east town of Nakhodka not far from the North Korean border, caused global fury. It's believed 11 orcas and 87 beluga whales are being held. Reuters reports that they were originally caught with the intention of selling them to China, but the Russian government prevented that. After months of delays, the governor of the region announced the decision to release the whales Monday during a a visit by Jean-Michel Cousteau, son of famous marine expert Jacques Cousteau. “An official decision has been taken to release all the animals into the wild,” said Oleg Kozhemyako. “Scientists from Cousteau’s team and Russian scientists will decide when and which animals to release.” He added that a special rehabilitation facility would be built for the whales.