Georgia
Georgia Aquarium experts help rescue 2 beluga whales from war-torn Ukraine
Marine mammal care specialists from the Georgia Aquarium were part of a team that rescued two beluga whales from Ukraine this week and safely delivered them to an aquarium in Spain.
It’s being called “likely the most complex marine mammal rescue ever undertaken.”
The multinational collaboration took place on Tuesday and ended with the arrival of 15-year-old male Plombir and 14-year-old female Miranda to Oceanographic Valencia. The aquarium is the largest in Europe and the only one on the continent with belugas in its facilities, according to a press release.
“The complexities of this evacuation were immense, and we have been working for weeks to prepare for it,” said Dennis Christen, senior director of animal wellbeing and behavior at the Georgia Aquarium. “I’m humbled to have been trusted to provide the belugas care and protection during their long journey to their new home.”
The operation began with a team from NEMO Dolphinarium in Kharkiv, Ukraine, taking the belugas on a 12-hour drive to Odesa, a Ukrainian city 400 miles away. There they met the team of marine mammal care specialists from the Georgia Aquarium, Oceanographic Valencia and SeaWorld, who cared for the belugas on the long journey to Oceanografic Valencia in Spain.
The route of the rescue operation. (Courtesy of Georgia Aquarium)
Dr. Daniel Garcia-Párraga, director of zoological operations at Oceanografic, said that if the belugas had stayed in Kharkiv, “their chances of survival would have been very slim.”
“I applaud AZA [Association of Zoos and Aquariums] members Oceanografic, Georgia Aquarium and SeaWorld, for convening the world’s most elite team of marine mammal experts to work with the Ukrainian aquarium on what is likely the most complex marine mammal rescue ever undertaken,” said Dan Ashe, President and CEO of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
A team of medical, nutritional and behavioral experts at Oceanographic are helping the belugas recover from the trauma they have experienced. Two Ukrainian caregivers are also helping out for the next couple of weeks to help with the transition and care, according to the release.
“My heart is with the Ukrainian caregivers and the people of Kharkiv who had to say goodbye to Miranda and Plombir,” said the Georgia Aquarium’s Christen. “It’s not an easy thing to do, but it was best for them. I’m proud to have played a role in helping them,”
PERRY, Ga. (WALB) — The Georgia National Fair announced ticket pricing changes for 2026 in a Facebook post.
Children ages 3-10 will now require a $5 admission ticket.
Adult tickets purchased with cash at the entry gate will cost $20, excluding discounted admission days. Adults paying with a card at the gate will pay $15.
All online transactions will include a processing fee.
Discounted admission days will be $10 for everyone. Seniors 60 and up are $10 every day.
For more ticket information and fair dates, visit https://www.georgianationalfair.com/p/getconnected/pricing.
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Copyright 2026 WALB. All rights reserved.
GEORGIA, Ga. (WALB) — A new bill introduced to the Georgia Senate could create a constitutional amendment to restrict voting to legal U.S. citizens.
The bill, Senate Resolution 4EX says, “No person who is not a citizen of the United States shall be entitled to vote at any election by the people.”
If passed, Georgians will vote on the constitutional amendment in the November election.
Georgia Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger said “I have been calling on the legislature for years to pass this amendment to the state constitution. I am glad to see the legislature finally act to ensure only American citizens are voting in our elections.”
According to Raffensperger, Georgia was the first state in the nation to conduct citizen verification of voter rolls. Since 2022, Raffensperger’s office conducted two citizenship audits of Georgia’s voter rolls.
SR 4EX Text
“Casting a vote is one of the most important elements of American citizenship. Any illegal vote dilutes the value of a citizen’s lawfully cast ballot. U.S. Citizens should decide Georgia elections. Period. I urge the legislature to pass this important legislation.”
The state uses information from the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) to identify people who are non-citizens. This data is based on documents provided to DDS, through its REAL ID drivers licenses or state identification cards.
That information is also ran through the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program to verify an individual’s citizenship status.
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To stay up to date on all the latest news as it develops, follow WALB on Facebook, Instagram and X. For more South Georgia news, download the WALB News app and add WALB as a preferred source on Google.
Copyright 2026 WALB. All rights reserved.
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