Most people wonder if animals have feelings and if they do, can they express what they feel the same way? Look no further than the big, toothy smiles on these whales, Little White and Little Gray. Their smiles are proof! Especially since they seemed to know they were being freed from their former lives in captivity.
The stunning pair of beluga whales have returned to outdoor life after a 6,000 miles arduous trek back to the wild. The journey also included a ride on a Boeing 747 400ERF aircraft and harbor tugboat before being lowered into an outdoor tank that is connected to their forever home—the ocean. The animals instinctively knew they were being helped and seemed to know they were returning to their roots despite all the different ways they had traveled so far.
“The process was getting the belugas into a stretcher, out of their care pool, onto the back of a truck, two minutes to the tugboat, and the local tugboat here, onto the back of the tugboat, and then a five-minute journey out here,” Andy Bool, head of Sea Life Trust,
said. The moving of the whales into the first
open water sanctuary was completed on Friday, August 7th. Here, they will acclimate to sea life before being released into a 32,000 square mile sanctuary off the coast of Iceland.
Captured when they were mere babies, they spent their lives performing tricks for treats in an aquarium in Shanghai for more than a decade. Rob Lott, Whale Dolphin Conservation Campaigner said, “Little White and Little Grey were taken from the wild when they were very young so Friday was a big day for them (and all of us) as they got to experience the ocean for the first time in their adult lives."
As the pair were lowered into the water, they were excited by the smell of the salt in the air and the water below. Their fins waved, their tales whipped, and they dived deep into the waters as their rescuers breathed a sigh of relief, said a little prayer, and gathered for a large group hug.
“It’s kind of the finish line for these two, but it’s a new chapter for belugas around the world,” explained Audrey Padgett, Sea Life Trust’s general manager. What an inspiring story of restoring God’s creation! Thank God for people who have a passion for our cetacean friends.
“So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good,”
Genesis 1:21.
Source:
The Animal Club
![Have you ever done or said something that you wish you could instantly undo? Imagine that, but the outcome is never having a relationship with that person ever again. Nathan Wilding experienced such a tragedy. This man shares his forgiveness story after accidentally causing his wife’s death.
In life we say and do things sometimes that we don’t mean. We’re human. Most of us are fortunate enough to not experience the sadness the befell Nathan. His genuine mistake led to the loss of a relationship that claimed the life of his wife and almost his own.
His story teaches us about an important message, the same words on the ring his in-law gave him. “No Regrets.”
Despite the past tragedy, he is now able to mourn without hating himself for what happened. Imagine the trauma he faced and continues to battle. His wife passed, he suffered physical and emotional injury. This happened because of his decision.
Nathan said that in the accident he “shattered [his] femur, broke both arms, and wrists.” And his frontal lobe was injured. He even went into a coma. In the end he had to learn to talk, write, and read all over again.
When his family took him to cemetary, Nathan saw for the first time that his wife had died in the accident. That moment told him how precious life is, that every moment matters.
Despite the hardship he became a better person all because of the mantra, “No Regrets.”
With his new and supportive wife, Amanda, and his children, Nathan has become equipped with “a whole new reason to live.”
The reason why Nathan can live without regrets is his understanding of forgiveness. Forgiveness has allowed him to accept what transpired, while moving on without beating himself down. While Nathan can’t reconcile with his first wife, Brenda, he can reconcile with himself. He can make peace with himself and see life from a more positive outlook.
Think about your own life. Is there someone you need to forgive or something you should apologize for? God forgives those who forgive.
Remember that life is valuable and time is a resource we never get back. Let’s make the most of what we have now.
“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven will also forgive you your wrongdoing.” <a href="https://godtube.com/bible/mark/11-25">Mark 11:25</a>](https://media.swncdn.com/godtube/2020/08/17/582234--93a468b2-36f8-4750-afa9-6c2ddd8ea1c2-thumb.jpg)
