SeaWorld San Antonio will help rescue 30 beluga whales stranded at a shuttered Canadian marine park as part of an international effort to relocate the animals.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently authorized the emergency rescue of about 30 beluga whales living at Marineland of Canada, a marine park in Niagara Falls, Ontario that closed in 2024 and according to officials, is no longer able to provide for the whales’ long-term care.
Beluga whales are Arctic marine mammals known for their distinctive white coloring, bulb-shaped foreheads and highly social behavior. They are considered among the most vocal whale species and are capable of learning complex sounds and behaviors under human care.
SeaWorld San Antonio is one of several aquariums accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums participating in the effort, alongside SeaWorld San Diego, Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Georgia Aquarium and Oceanogràfic Valencia in Spain. Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut is also providing logistical support but will not receive animals.
SeaWorld San Antonio officials said dedicated animal care teams will soon travel to Canada to assess the whales’ health and prepare them for transport. Once Canadian veterinarians determine individual whales are healthy enough to travel, aquarium staff will accompany them to their new homes.
The rescue effort will take several weeks to complete, SeaWorld said. The park did not say how many whales, if any, will ultimately come to San Antonio, adding that details could change as the operation moves forward.
When the whales arrive at their new facilities, they will receive specialized veterinary care, managed diets, monitored water quality and around-the-clock medical support, according to a spokesperson for SeaWorld.
The relocation marks the latest chapter in a yearslong effort to determine the future of Marineland’s captive beluga population.
How we got here
Marineland, once one of Canada’s largest marine parks, stopped operating as a traditional amusement park in 2024 while facing financial difficulties. According to reporting by The Guardian, the park and Canada’s federal government spent months negotiating the future of the whales after Canadian officials blocked an earlier proposal to export them to a marine park in China over animal welfare concerns.
The uncertainty intensified last year when Marineland warned federal officials it lacked the financial resources to continue caring for the whales and suggested euthanasia could become a possibility without government assistance or approval to relocate the animals, according to documents first reported by The Guardian.
Animal welfare organizations criticized the threat while urging governments to move the whales as quickly as possible. Some advocacy groups argued the animals should be transferred to ocean sanctuaries rather than aquariums, while others acknowledged that accredited marine life facilities may be the only immediately available option for whales that have spent their entire lives in human care.
Canada and Marineland reached a tentative agreement in June that would relocate the whales to accredited aquariums in the United States and Europe. The agreement required additional approvals from Canadian authorities and NOAA before the transfers could begin.
On Wednesday, SeaWorld announced in a Facebook post that NOAA had approved the emergency rescue, clearing another major hurdle before the international relocation effort can begin.
SeaWorld officials said they will continue providing updates as the process moves forward but emphasized that the health and safety of the whales will determine the pace of the relocation.
