Orca From Russia's Infamous Whale Jail Spotted Thriving in Wild

An orca that was freed from Russia's infamous whale jail has been spotted thriving in the wild.

The 8-year-old orca named Zina, was spotted by a filming crew of Frozen Planet II, which is currently airing. A clip of the sighting can be seen here.

Crews identified Zina from a tag attached to her large dorsal fin and determined she was one of many to be released from the "whale jail," in Srednyaya Bay, Russia in 2019.

The whale jail was notorious for keeping nearly 100 whales in cramped conditions for the purpose of selling them to marine parks, according to a report from The Moscow Times.

Zina, a Russian transient whale captured in 2018, was destined to be shipped off to a marine park in China before animal rights activists launched an intense campaign demanding her release.

After those efforts, Zina and nearly 100 others, including Beluga whales, were released.

While still at the jail, Zina had begun to show "signs of frostbite and infection from the freezing, stagnant winter waters," of Srednyaya Bay, the Orca Rescues Foundation said in a Facebook post.

The foundation said Zina is now "absolutely thriving" among wild orca.

There has been much debate about whether captive orca are able to survive in the wild. As most of the orca captured were young and separated from their families when brought to the whale jail, some argue that they will not adapt to life in the wild.

"Zina's ability to survive and prosper in the wild after her unfortunate run-in with the captivity industry, (which lasted a little over a year,) proves that these animals are capable of returning to their roots, and should remain in the only place they are truly meant to be: The Ocean," the Orca Rescues Foundation said in a Facebook post.

Zina was spotted swimming and hunting within a pod. It is not clear whether she has rejoined her own family, or been accepted into another, according to the Frozen Plant II clip.

Orca are incredibly intelligent animals and form close bonds with each other. Pods work together to hunt and protect each other. It would not be the first time a pod has been witnessed welcoming another, unrelated whale into the pod.

The foundation said it is "important to note" that each orca's captive situation is extremely unique.

"Length-of-time spent in captivity, is just one crucial factor that's considered when discussing the possibility of release for a captive cetacean. What works for one individual, may not work for another," the foundation said. "For them, there is hope in the creation of Sea Sanctuaries, and the banning of wild capture and breeding in aquarium facilities, which would eventually end the cycle of exploitation."