Where Did Canada’s Last 6 Captive Belugas Go?

Canada's last six captive beluga whales were relocated from Marineland to new homes, marking the end of whale or dolphin captivity in the country.

The whales were carefully guided into transport slings, lifted with a crane, and flown to their new homes after the closure of Marineland.

The relocation of the beluga whales was described as the largest ever undertaken, with two going to Shedd Aquarium in Chicago and four to SeaWorld in San Antonio.

Whales are some of nature's most amazing animals. Growing to massive sizes, these animals deserve to spend their time traveling the open seas. Recently, Canada's last captive whales were relocated from the former Marineland to new homes. This Instagram post by @walrus_whisperer shows the parade of vehicles carrying these whales.

On August 31, the final six beluga whales began their removal from the now-shuttered Marineland marine park in Niagara Falls, Canada. This has been described as the largest relocation of captive whales ever undertaken. The whales lived at Marineland, which was once Canada's best-known marine attraction. The park closed to the public in 2024, leaving 30 beluga whales and four bottlenose dolphins behind. As the facility faced growing financial problems and prepared to sell the property, the urgency of finding new homes for the animals increased. Thanks to collaboration between Canadian authorities, veterinarians, and transport crews, the final six whales at the facility were ultimately relocated to new homes.

Two of the whales, Yukon and Gimli, were sent to Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, while Tank, Odin, Orion, and Tofino were sent to SeaWorld in San Antonio. The other beluga whales and dolphins have been distributed to several different facilities in Atlanta, San Diego, and Valencia, Spain. Moving animals of this size requires careful planning. Specialists carefully guided each beluga whale into a transport sling, which was then lifted with a crane.

They were lowered into water-filled transport tanks and then brought to Toronto Pearson International Airport, from where they were flown to their new homes. Traveling is extremely stressful for any animal, but it can be especially difficult for social animals like whales. Because transport can be stressful, veterinarians monitored the whales closely before, during, and after the journey. This move is extremely significant as it marks the end of whale or dolphin captivity in Canada.