The US-based marine park chain SeaWorld announced Wednesday it has received approval by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to move 30 beluga whales that have been living in limbo at the closed Marineland park in Niagara Falls, Ontario.
“This has created an urgent animal welfare situation that requires experienced, accredited marine life experts to step in,” SeaWorld posted on its Facebook page.
The belugas have remained on Marineland’s property since the park closed in 2024, and owners tried unsuccessfully to relocate them. BTPM's Dan Karpenchuk previously reported after park owners were denied permission to transfer the belugas to a marine park in China last fall, they suggested that without provincial or federal financial support, they would be forced to euthanize the whales.
That didn’t happen. Later in the fall, Marineland officials rejected the idea of moving some of the whales to a proposed sanctuary in Nova Scotia, arguing the facility would not have been adequate.
According to SeaWorld, the transfer of the belugas will be done in partnership with Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, and Oceanogràfic Valencia in Spain. Mystic Aquarium, located in Connecticut, will assist with expertise but will not ultimately house any of the whales.
SeaWorld officials, through their social media, explained the process: “This is not a simple move. It is a major international rescue effort involving multiple governments, veterinary teams, animal care specialists and accredited marine life facilities.
“In the coming days and weeks, dedicated care teams will arrive to assess the whales’ health and begin preparing them for travel. Once veterinarians determine the animals are cleared to move, aquarium experts will accompany them to their new homes.”
Marineland estimated caring and maintaining the whales cost them about $2 million a month, and they no longer had the revenues from parkgoers at their disposal since it closed.
