Museums: Belugas arrive in Pingtung

Six Russian beluga whales arrived in Taiwan yesterday to join the collection of the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium in Pingtung County. They will be the first belugas to be exhibited in Taiwan. A Russian expert on whales accompanied the belugas on their journey from Russia to Taiwan. The six belugas purchased by the museum are all two years old, weigh between 500kg and 700kg each and are between 2.6m and 3.2m long. Beluga whales inhabit coastal and estuarine areas in Arctic and subarctic regions. They are recognizable by their white color, prominent blunt head, stout body shape and lack of dorsal fin. Beluga means "white one" in Russian. China Airlines had to refurbish one of its cargo planes to transport the six whales from Hong Kong to Taiwan. After arriving at the Kaohsiung International Airport, the whales traveled by truck to the museum.