Another six whales being moved out of Marineland, headed to U.S. aquariums
A third batch of whales left Marineland for aquariums south of the border on Wednesday, marking what the park called a "major milestone."
On Wednesday, a third group of whales left Marineland for aquariums in the United States, marking a significant milestone in the park's efforts to relocate its captive whales. Six beluga whales, including two males and four females, were carefully transferred one by one into tanks at the shuttered tourist attraction in Niagara Falls, Ontario.
The operation, described as "exceptionally well" by Marineland's adviser, Andrew Burns, comes as the park prepares to reduce its whale population from 11 to a safer number. The whales, comprising Zephyr, Balor, Caspian, Pikachu, Secord, and Rain, were transported in a police-escorted convoy to Toronto's Pearson airport before being flown to Shedd Aquarium in Chicago and Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta.
This move, part of a series of complex transfers, aims to provide a better future for the whales, who are the last captive ones in Canada. Despite the park's closure in 2024 due to financial difficulties, Burns emphasized the priority on the whales' health, noting the possibility of holding back some for later transfers if necessary.
Written by urgent.news from Global News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
