Major Whale Transport Operation Moves Belugas From Closed Marine Park to New Homes

Marineland Canada, a marine park in Niagara Falls, Ontario, closed to the public in September 2024 amid mounting animal welfare concerns and financial strain. The park's operator said it could no longer sustain funding for the animals still on site, raising the possibility of euthanasia without an alternative plan. That alternative became a large scale, multi stage relocation of roughly 30 beluga whales to marine mammal facilities in the United States.

Which whales were moved

The relocation has proceeded in stages rather than all at once. The first transport, in late July 2026, moved two male belugas, Frankie and Bertie Botts, to SeaWorld San Antonio, while four others, Sierra, Acadia, Osiris and Lillooet, went to Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.

A second transport, completed in early August 2026, moved seven female belugas, Xena, Gemini, Skyla, Meeka, Eve, Neva and Calypso, in what was described as the largest single beluga whale transfer in U.S. history. As of that point, nine whales had arrived at their new facilities, with more than a dozen remaining at Marineland awaiting future transport.

Why the move happened

With Marineland Canada no longer operating and unable to sustain its marine mammal program, the whales needed new, adequately resourced homes. SeaWorld and Shedd Aquarium, both with existing beluga programs and veterinary infrastructure, agreed to take in animals in stages as space and logistics allowed.

Preparing an animal this large for transport

Moving a beluga whale is a major logistical undertaking. Each animal travels in a specialized, water filled transport container, moved first by flatbed truck and then by cargo plane, covering roughly 2,000 miles per trip between Ontario and the receiving facilities.

Veterinary planning

SeaWorld staff, including vice president Steve Aibel, along with aquatic veterinarians, accompanied the whales throughout the transit process. The relocations required approval from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which oversees marine mammal transport in the United States.

Arrival at the new facility

On arrival, whales have reportedly been placed in private, non public habitats at both SeaWorld San Antonio and Shedd Aquarium, where staff can monitor health, behavior and acclimation before any public viewing begins.

Welfare considerations

Not every animal welfare group has embraced the framing of these transfers as a straightforward rescue. The Whale Sanctuary Project has published criticism arguing that moving belugas into other captive facilities, rather than toward more spacious sanctuary style environments, represents the end of an immediate funding crisis rather than a genuine improvement in the animals' long term situation.

A related but separate transfer has drawn sharper criticism: two orcas, Wikie and her son Keijo, from the also closed Marineland Antibes in France, have been slated for transfer to Loro Parque in Spain. Organizations including Born Free and World Animal Protection have objected to that move specifically, citing concerns about tank size and the facility's history with orca deaths. That transfer involves different animals, a different origin facility and a different destination than the Ontario beluga relocations, and should not be conflated with the SeaWorld and Shedd Aquarium transports.

What happens next

More than a dozen belugas remained at Marineland Canada as of early August 2026, with additional placements reportedly planned at facilities in Georgia, San Diego and Spain, though timing for those has not been announced. The relocation effort is expected to continue in stages until all of Marineland's remaining whales have new homes.

How we reported this: Buddylio reviewed the named sources, checked the organizations and figures shown above, and added context for animal lovers. Any illustration is labeled and does not depict the actual animals or scene. Articles are editorial content, not veterinary advice.