We're pleased to share that Little Grey is recovering well from her stomach ulcers diagnosed earlier this year, for which she has been receiving ongoing treatment in the Sanctuary’s landside care facility. The ulcers may have been caused by a number of factors, but thankfully the course of treatment administered by the whales’ dedicated care team and third party veterinarians is working as expected and we expect her to make a full recovery.
Treatment of Little Grey’s condition will continue, and due to the ongoing nature of this treatment and the length of time required to help both whales build up their fitness and stamina for their move as part of the Little Steps programme, we have had to make the difficult but right decision to postpone the whales’ return to the sanctuary’s outdoor care pools until next year.
This is disappointing news for everyone involved, yet our priority is always to put Little Grey and Little White’s welfare first. It is vitally important that we allow the whales to have the necessary amount of time to acclimatise in their natural surroundings before winter begins and, with that window having now passed, it is best to focus on the preparation of Little White and Little Grey for next year.
Our long-term goal for Little Grey and Little White to live in the open-water sea sanctuary throughout the year has not changed and, with the support of their dedicated welfare team and third-party experts, we will continue to help them to be ready for moving back to the bay next year as they continue on their Little Steps programme.