SeaWorld has stepped in to save thirty beluga whales that have been trapped in a closed Canadian theme park for two years.
One of Canada’s largest marine parks, located in Marineland, Ontario, stopped operating as a public attraction two years ago (in 2024) due to financial constraints and whales have been trapped there ever since.
The United States (US) government has given the green light to an international rescue effort as major aquariums around the world are banding together to save the whales and give them new homes.
The rescue team includes SeaWorld San Antonio, SeaWorld San Diego, the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta and the Spanish Oceanographic Aquarium in Valencia. Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut is assisting in the rescue effort, but will not accept any whales.
It has been revealed that two whales will go to Spain while the other 28 will go to the United States. The exact number of fish the aquariums will receive has not been revealed.
The rescue effort comes after Marineland warned last year that it might have to euthanize the whales if the government did not step in with money or approval to move them.
First, the park wanted to send the whales to a marine park in China; However, Canadian officials said no, citing animal welfare concerns.
In June, Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans endorsed a new plan: sending whales to the United States and Spain. The United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has also approved it.
