Marineland’s beluga whales could be moving to U.S., Spain

Ottawa signs off on plan to split up the 30 animals amongst the five facilities

Published Jun 03, 2026  •  Last updated 25 minutes ago  •  2 minute read

A baby beluga whale at Marineland in Niagara Falls, Ont., is pictured in this July 15, 2002 file photo. Photo by Denis Cahill /The Standard/Postmedia Network files

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The Department of Fisheries and Oceans backed the plan last week to divide the 30 remaining whales at the shuttered Niagara Falls, Ont., attraction amongst five marine parks, CBC News reported.

The plan would relocate the belugas to Oceanografic Valencia in Spain, Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, and two SeaWorlds in San Diego, Calif., and San Antonio, Texas.

Several regulatory issues

The belugas will have to undergo health assessments and will need “the necessary import permits from the U.S. and Spanish governments,” said an official representing the five aquariums.

“There is no definite timeline for the rescue,” Johnny Ford, a Shedd Aquarium vice president, said in an email to CBC News.

The move would be official once the Department of Fisheries and Oceans issues export permits.

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The permits “will be issued closer to the date of transport, pending final animal health checks,” the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s spokesperson Erik Nosaluk said in a statement to CBC.

The department is working with Canada Border Services Agency and Health Canada “to ensure all requirements are met for a safe and timely transfer,” Nosaluk said.

Belugas were living in limbo

Since Marineland’s closure in 2024, the belugas and the facility’s remaining animals have been cared for by the park’s staff.

After the death of Marineland’s founder, John Holer, in 2018, his wife, Marie Holer, took over operations of the park and sought to sell it.

She died in 2024, with the Holer family estate maintaining the shuttered park. But in order for the estate to sell the property, the theme park must relocate the animals.

After the deal with China’s Chimelong Ocean Kingdom fell through last year, Marineland had threatened to euthanize the whales as it could no longer afford to keep them.

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