Nearly three dozen beluga whales stuck at a shuttered Canadian theme park are being moved to aquariums in the United States and Spain following an emergency rescue operation. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) last week approved a plan to save the whales, which have been housed at the closed Marineland park in Niagara Falls, Ontario.
The park had warned in October that it would be forced to euthanize the whales if a transfer was not approved. Marineland ceased public operations two years ago due to significant financial difficulties, which impacted its ability to provide adequate care for its animals. Data obtained by Canadian press indicated that 20 whales had died at the park since 2019.
"This rescue effort will take several weeks to mobilize and complete, and the comfort and safety of the whales remains of the utmost importance," a representative for the American aquarium consortium involved in the undertaking stated. The plan involves transferring 28 belugas to four U.S. locations: the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, and two SeaWorld parks in San Diego and San Antonio. The remaining two whales are slated for transfer to Oceanogràfic València in Spain.
Before their transfer, the whales must be cleared by Canadian veterinarians. Care staff from the U.S. aquariums are set to arrive at Marineland to assess the animals' well-being and prepare them for travel. "Once the belugas are cleared for travel by Canadian veterinarians, aquarium experts will accompany the animals to their new homes, where they will be met with diverse seafood to meet their nutritional needs, high quality environments with guaranteed water quality and onsite medical care should they require it at any time," the consortium said.
This development follows a decision made more than eight months ago when the Canadian government denied Marineland's request to send the 30 belugas to Chimelong Ocean Kingdom in China. Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans Minister Joanne Thompson stated that the denial was in line with a 2019 law prohibiting the use of whales and dolphins in entertainment shows or their captivity for such purposes.