HONG KONG ¨C Eight beluga whales jump in unison out of a bright blue indoor pool, flipping their tail fins and spewing water as a packed audience cheers and snaps photographs.
Whale shows like the one at Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, located in Zhuhai on China¡¯s southern coast, are proliferating at new marine parks across the country, driving demand for threatened species.
Orcas and beluga whales are among the marine animals caught up in a shadowy trade in which individual cetaceans ¡ª often caught illegally ¡ª sell for millions of dollars, according to scientists, executives and activists.
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