Hundreds are rounded up every year in Nilmoguba, a small village on the north of Russia.
A team of specialists are licensed to catch and train them for a life entertaining humans.
The whales are then sent to aquaparks and circuses around Russia and expected to perform.
But only one in two of the whales captured manages to adapt to life in captivity.
The ones that don't, usually die of starvation.
They're creatures of the sea that always look happy.
But for these Beluga whales their lives are far from it.
Every year in Nilmoguba, a small village on the north of Russia, near the Polar Circle,
hundreds are rounded up to begin a sad journey into captivity from which only half survive.
Sad journey: This Beluga whale named Petrovich will have new home in Moscow
A team of specialists are issued with licenses to catch the Beulgas there
and then train them for a life entertaining humans.
It takes around six months and - if they live - they will then be transferred to a circus or aquapark
somewhere else in Russia where they are expected to perform.
The whale pictured here, named Petrovich, was caught in the autumn
and since then has become accustomed to people and feeding in captivity.
Soon he will have new home in Moscow.
Petrovich is 12 years old and surprised his trainers by adapting very easily.
But, as each whale has its own character, not all do.
Of the hundreds captured every year about one in two refuse to eat food brought given to them.
If they do not adapt, because of stressful experience or because of lack of food,
they die very quickly.
The beluga whale is a small, toothed whale that is white as an adult.
The Beluga's body is stout and has a small, blunt head with a small beak, tiny eyes,
thick layers of blubber, and a rounded melon.
They have one blowhole. Beluga means 'white one' in Russian.
It takes around six months for the whales to be trained and - if they survive -
they will then be transferred to live in circus or aquapark where they are expected to perform
It is estimated that there are about 40,000 to 80,000 of them world-wide. The whales are often also known as 'sea canaries' because of their songs and chatter,
which can even be heard above the water.
Belugas mostly eat fish, squid, crustaceans and octopi and have 34 teeth designed not for chewing,
but for grabbing and tearing prey.
In the wild these beautiful animals have few natural enemies.
Only rare meetings with a killer whale or a polar bear puts them in danger.
These beautiful beings deserve to be free!
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