Canada Ends Beluga Captivity by Relocating 30 Marineland Whales to Spain and U.S. Facilities

Canada and Marineland reached a tentative deal to relocate all 30 beluga whales held at the Niagara Falls park. The federal fisheries ministry announced this week that the animals will move to Oceanogràfic València in Spain or to aquariums in Georgia, Chicago, San Diego, and San Antonio. The agreement ends whale captivity in Canada.

Marineland effectively closed to visitors in 2024 and had threatened to euthanize the belugas in 2025 after the fisheries minister blocked their sale to China. A spokesperson for the American aquariums group said there was no definite timeline for the rescue but that it could unfold over a matter of weeks. Canadian veterinarians will examine each whale to confirm it is healthy enough to travel.

Canada’s federal government only issues export permits if the move is in the best interest of the whale. The government said permits will be issued closer to the date of transport, pending final animal health checks. Advocacy groups described the plan as the least worst option.

Mitchell added that Canada should prioritize sending as many animals as possible to sanctuaries. She said her team was deeply concerned that the whales might not be healthy enough to travel. “Independent experts must evaluate these animals before any transfer takes place to ensure they are not being moved with pre-existing health conditions, something that occurred when Marineland previously transferred whales to Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut,” she said.

The decision is a setback for a controversial sanctuary in Nova Scotia that had offered to host the cetaceans. The same sanctuary had also offered to host two orcas from France, but officials decided to send those animals to a Spanish zoo instead. Beluga whales were photographed swimming in a tank at Marineland on 9 June 2023.