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Last Whales Escape Ontario Park for New Homes
4 Jun
Summary
- Canada's government approved a plan to relocate captive whales.
- Thirty belugas and four dolphins will move to US and Spain aquariums.
- The park faced past animal cruelty charges and animal deaths.
Canada's government has endorsed a plan for the final relocation of captive whales from a now-closed theme park in Ontario. The move involves 30 belugas and four dolphins, destined for aquariums in the United States and Spain, potentially saving them from euthanasia.
The park, located in Niagara Falls, Ontario, was put up for sale in early 2023 and ceased public operations in late summer 2024. While no sale has been finalized, the estate has been working to move the remaining animals and sell the property.
This initiative follows a difficult period for the facility, which was found guilty of animal cruelty in 2024 related to bear care. Official data indicates that 20 whales, including belugas and a killer whale, have died at the park since 2019.
Permits for the transfer are being issued by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, with the move anticipated in the coming months. The belugas and dolphins will be housed at five facilities: Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, SeaWorld in San Antonio and San Diego, and Oceanografic Valencia. Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut will also assist, having previously received belugas from the park in 2021.
"This is a positive step forward," stated Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson, acknowledging that more work remains. Marineland has expressed full commitment to the safe and timely relocation, describing the undertaking as extraordinarily complex. The Canadian government has not yet determined if public funds will support the relocation effort.
