FILE: Beluga whales seen through the glass of Marineland's underwater viewing area in Arctic Cove on Friday July 20, 2012. (Tara Walton/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
The federal government has approved the emergency rescue of 28 beluga whales from Marineland, a once-popular theme park near Niagara Falls in Canada that closed in 2024.
Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans has endorsed the rescue plan, which avoids having to euthanize the 30 whales still living at the shuttered theme park.
Beluga whales to be rescued from Marineland
What we know:
According to CBC, 28 whales will be moved to four accredited aquariums in the U.S.: Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, SeaWorld in San Diego, California, and SeaWorld in San Antonio, Texas. The other two whales will be sent to aquariums in Spain.
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Timeline: It’ll take a few weeks to get the whales moved. They’ll have to be cleared by Canadian veterinarians before they can travel.
What we don't know:
It’s unclear what will happen to the whales if they’re not cleared for transfer.
Dig deeper:
The rescue comes more than eight months after the Canadian government denied Marineland’s request to send the 30 belugas to Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, an aquarium in China. Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson said in October that the decision was consistent with a 2019 law making it illegal to use whales and dolphins in entertainment shows or keep them in captivity.
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The law that banned whale captivity did not apply to the existing population of captive whales at Marineland, but the park had to comply with another part of the law that forbade breeding.
In October, Marineland said it would be forced to euthanize the whales if a transfer wasn’t approved.
Why did Marineland close?
The backstory:
Marineland announced it was for sale in early 2023 and closed to the public in late summer 2024 because of financial struggles.
Twenty whales — one killer whale and 19 belugas — have died at the park since 2019, according to a database created by The Canadian Press news agency based on internal records and official statements.
What they're saying:
"We recognize we can no longer provide the long-term care these animals require, and we believe this rescue. . .is in the whales' best interest," Marineland said.
The Source: This article includes information from CBC and previous FOX Local reporting. FOX’s Chris Williams contributed.