A man stands outside an aquarium tank, looking at two orcas swimming underwater. The orcas are close to the glass, and the man is visible through the blue-tinged water of the tank.
Aerial view of a fish farm on a body of water in winter, with three large covered structures and multiple netted enclosures; snowy land and industrial buildings in the background.
Three orcas swim gracefully underwater in a deep blue ocean, illuminated by light filtering through the surface above them. Their distinct black and white markings are clearly visible.

Whale Jail

Conservation·1 x 50 min·Completed

A secret whale prison on Russia’s Pacific coast sparks a global battle between profit, politics, and the fight for freedom.

Genre
Conservation
Nature & Wildlife
Duration
1 × 50 min
Definition
4K
Audio
5.1
Status
Completed
Year
2025
Back to all projects

Synopsis

In 2018, a shocking discovery on Russia’s Pacific coast triggers one of the most explosive environmental scandals in recent history. In a remote bay near Srednyaya, 11 orcas and 87 belugas languish in tiny pens – cramped and isolated. They await transport into China’s rapidly growing marine entertainment industry. Officially, they are held under the pretense of “scientific research,” but in truth, their fate is purely commercial: on the black market, they are worth millions, destined for a life in captivity, displayed for paying audiences. When Russian journalist Aljona Stepanowa breaks the story with her article Black & White Gold, the facility quickly becomes a global flashpoint, soon dubbed by the media as the “whale jail.”

What begins as a regional investigation evolves into an international outcry. Activists, conservationists, and even Hollywood celebrities join forces to pressure the Russian government into action. Under mounting public and political pressure, Moscow halts the sale and orders the whales’ release – a decision that enrages powerful businessmen and their backers. What follows is a tense and high-stakes operation: the unprecedented effort to return the animals to the wild, as scientists, whistleblowers, and environmental activists go head-to-head with a deeply entrenched, multi-million-dollar industry.

Whale Jail moves between icy Kamchatka, bustling Moscow, and the gleaming glass tanks of China’s marine parks. It weaves together exclusive footage, undercover recordings, and intimate interviews into a compelling narrative.

A former animal trainer in China exposes how whales are shuffled like circus props between aquariums – often separated and neglected. In Russia, activists fight under harsh conditions – facing intimidation, equipment sabotage, and constant surveillance – to reveal the brutal, hidden methods of the whale trade. Meanwhile, Russian authorities scramble to cover up the scandal, obscuring information and crafting their own narratives to placate both international observers and growing domestic outrage.

As the release operation begins, the story turns into both a logistical and ethical nightmare. Marine experts warn that many of the whales – traumatized and often too young to have learned survival skills – have little chance of making it in the wild. State scientists are criticized for mishandling the process while protecting those truly responsible. To this day, little is known about the fate of the roughly 50 belugas released thousands of kilometers from their original home. The orcas can be tracked by satellite for only a short time before their signals go dark.

Team

TV-Version written and directed by Heinz Leger
Based on the theatrical version directed by Sarah Nörenberg
Original version written by Mark Monroe
Production companies A Terra Mater Studios production
Distributor

Talk to our Distributor

Interested in licensing and watching the full production? Contact our distributor here.

Get in touch
Footage rights

Licensing & Usage

Interested in licensing or footage usage?
Contact us directly.

Get in touch

In the same Genre