Beluga whales moved from Canada's Marineland to U.S. and Spanish aquariums

Nearly 30 beluga whales that have been held at the closed Marineland theme park in Niagara Falls, Ontario, are slated for relocation after the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration approved an emergency rescue plan. The park, shut to visitors two years ago due to financial problems, has seen 20 whales die since 2019. The rescue will transfer 28 whales to four accredited U.S. facilities—the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, and SeaWorld parks in San Diego and San Antonio—while the remaining two will go to Oceanogràfic Valencia in Spain. Canadian veterinarians must clear each animal before transport, and staff from the receiving aquariums will be on‑site to assess health and prepare the whales for travel. “Although the rescue will take a few weeks to organize and finalize, ensuring the whales’ comfort and safety is our top priority,” said a spokesperson for the American Aquarium Consortium. The move follows an earlier request to send the whales to China that was denied under a 2019 law prohibiting the use of cetaceans for entertainment.