A massive rescue effort is underway in Niagara Falls as Marineland’s beluga whales begin their journey to new homes across North America.
On Monday, teams of veterinarians, marine mammal specialists, and heavy equipment operators carefully lifted the first group of whales from their pools at the now-closed theme park, marking the start of what experts say is one of the largest marine mammal relocations ever attempted.
The transfer comes after months of uncertainty surrounding the future of nearly 30 belugas left at Marineland following the park’s permanent closure. With mounting financial challenges and growing concerns over the animals’ long-term care, the Canadian government blocked an earlier proposal to send the whales to China. In July, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) approved an emergency import permit, allowing a coalition of accredited aquariums to step in.
Moving belugas is an enormous undertaking. Each whale is carefully guided into a transport sling, lifted by crane into a climate-controlled container, and driven under police escort to an airport before boarding a specially equipped cargo plane with veterinary staff monitoring the animals throughout the flight.
The first six whales, Sierra, Acadia, Osiris, Lillooet, Bertie Botts, and Frankie, have now arrived safely at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago and SeaWorld San Antonio.
Over the coming weeks, the remaining belugas will be relocated to accredited facilities including Shedd Aquarium, SeaWorld San Antonio, SeaWorld San Diego, and Georgia Aquarium. Two additional belugas, along with four dolphins, are expected to move to Oceanogràfic València in Spain once international permits are finalized.
While many animal welfare advocates say the move is preferable to the uncertainty the whales faced at Marineland, some have expressed disappointment that open-ocean sanctuaries were not an option. Still, experts widely agree that relocating the animals to accredited facilities offered the safest and most immediate solution.
Once the transfers are complete, the operation will mark the end of whale captivity at Marineland in Niagara Falls.
