Overview
- The six belugas left Marineland on Monday and were flown in water-filled containers to the United States, with four arriving at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago and two at SeaWorld San Antonio.
- Veterinarians and caretakers used cloth slings, metal water tanks, trucks to Toronto Pearson and a Boeing 777 for the flight while monitoring breathing, giving calming medication hidden in fish and asking pilots to avoid steep takeoffs and landings.
- Shedd staff say the four new females are showing positive signs such as foraging and exploring and are being kept separate from Shedd’s other belugas during careful acclimation and close veterinary monitoring.
- Marineland’s lawyer says the herd faced an imminent risk of euthanasia because reserves were exhausted and that the aim is to remove all 30 belugas by Aug. 31, a claim opposed by animal‑welfare groups pressing for sanctuaries and long‑term funding from Marineland.
- Plans call for the remaining 24 belugas to move over coming weeks and months to accredited institutions including Georgia Aquarium, SeaWorld San Diego and Oceanogràfic Valencia, but each transfer will proceed only after health clearances and cross‑border permits and amid debate over sanctuary capacity and future breeding policy.