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| Beebong, Korea's last captive Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin, is seen after being released in waters off of Jeju Island, Sunday. Courtesy of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries |
By Lee Kyung-min
The last captive Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin, Beebong, has been freed in the waters off of Jeju Island, Sunday, after 70 days of training to help it acclimatize to the natural environment after 17 years of captivity, according to the oceans ministry.
Beebong was the last of eight captive dolphins held at eight aquariums on Jeju Island since 2012, when the ministry designated them as an endangered species. The remaining seven have already been released ― three in 2013 and two each in 2015 and 2017.
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said that the aquatic mammal was released near Seogwipo, off the south coast of Jeju Island, at 9:40 a.m. Sunday.
It showed no difficulties in communicating with other groups of dolphins and adjusted well to areas with fast currents and high waves.
The ministry plans to monitor it daily for the next 30 days with three onshore teams and two ships, as enabled by a location tracking device attached to the fin of the mammal. It will be followed by at least five consecutive days of monitoring per month over the next six months.
The process will be monitored and updates will be provided to animal rights groups, experts and government officials.
The aquatic mammal had been kept away from public display, in line with recommendations against exposure to extraneous noise and light.
Oceans Minister Cho Seung-hwan said that the government will continue monitoring the dolphin to ensure the safe return of the endangered species to the ocean.
"The aquatic mammal returned home 17 years after being held captive," he said. "The government will continue discussions with the aquarium industry to help a greater number of animals return home and improve overall animal welfare."
The ministry seeks to release the Beluga whale, Ruby, which has been kept in an aquarium in South Jeolla Province, at some point in the latter half of next year.
The issue of captive dolphins came into the spotlight recently, after Woo Young-woo, the lead character in "Extraordinary Attorney Woo," the popular Netflix series, said, "I want to see an Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin near the coast of Jeju someday."
An estimated 120 Indo-bottlenose dolphins live off the coast of Jeju Island.
Photos and video clips of the monitoring are available at www.meis.go.kr, a marine environmental information portal.
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