Six More Beluga Whales Depart Marineland for U.S. Aquariums

Specialized workers at the shuttered Marineland site in Niagara Falls are guiding six beluga whales—two males and four females—into a custom sling before placing them in transport tanks. A police-escorted convoy will drive the whales to Toronto Pearson Airport, where they will be flown to the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago and the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta. Marineland, closed to visitors in 2024 and currently on the market, has cited a lack of funds as the reason it can no longer care for the animals.

Earlier moves sent belugas to Shedd and SeaWorld in San Antonio and later to the same San Antonio facility. A previous deal to sell all 30 belugas to a Chinese aquarium was blocked, leading to a new arrangement with a consortium of American and Spanish aquariums. If the transfers cannot be completed, the park warned the whales could be euthanized. After this shipment, eleven belugas and four dolphins will remain, with the goal of moving all whales by month’s end.