A male beluga whale has been flown halfway across the country in hopes that he will mate with one of two female belugas at Mystic Aquarium.
The 2,100-pound, 13-fooot-long whale named Naluark is on loan from the John G. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, where he has sired three calves.
His trip to Connecticut involved two truck transfers and a chartered flight during which he was suspended inside a customized container filled with water.
Aquarium officials said Monday that Naluark has since joined other belugas inside Mystic Aquarium's Arctic Coast exhibit. The two female belugas at the aquarium have been identified by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums as top priority for breeding because neither has mothered a calf.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
