Canada’s final captive whales are scheduled to depart the country today, as six belugas from Marineland are en route to two aquariums in the United States. The shuttered tourist spot in Niagara Falls, Ontario, is currently on the market, citing financial struggles and an inability to sustain its animal population.
Following today’s relocation, Marineland will have transferred a total of 30 belugas and four dolphins through six separate moves to various aquariums, marking the largest coordinated transfer of captive whales globally. These marine mammals have been relocated to facilities such as Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, SeaWorld sites in San Diego and San Antonio, Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, and Oceanografic Valencia in Spain.
Although Canada implemented a ban on whale and dolphin captivity in 2019, Marineland’s existing animals were exempt from the prohibition. An earlier proposal to transfer the whales to a Chinese aquarium was thwarted by the Canadian government, prompting Marineland to issue a warning of potential euthanasia for the animals if urgent financial aid was not provided.