Rescued beluga whale to be moved to SeaWorld San Antonio

Officials say a rescued Cook Inlet beluga whale soon will call SeaWorld San Antonio home.

The Peninsula Clarion reports National Marine Fisheries Service official Kate Brogan says the Texas location is the best fit for the whale – named Tyonek – has become both nutritionally and socially dependent and lacks the survival and socialization skills that are necessary for life in the wild.

The National Marine Fisheries Service in January began reviewing applications for which facility would make the best, permanent home for the whale, which has been under care of experts from the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward since he was found in September in south-central Alaska.

Tyonek was less than a month old when he was rescued.

A specific date for Tyonek’s move has not been set.

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