Beluga whales held in captivity face profound welfare challenges, and the prospects for release or sanctuary placement are complex and species-specific.
Belugas in traditional tank captivity cannot express the full range of their social, acoustic, and movement behaviors. The contrast between their natural environment - Arctic and subarctic seas with hundreds of kilometers of range - and a tank represents one of the starkest mismatches in animal captivity. Sea pen sanctuaries represent a meaningful welfare improvement even for animals unsuitable for full release.