Overview
- On Wednesday, June 3, 2026, Fisheries and Oceans Canada formally endorsed a multinational rescue plan and issued initial CITES permits to transfer Marineland’s 30 belugas and four dolphins to accredited aquariums in the United States and Spain.
- The proposed destinations include Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, SeaWorld facilities in San Diego and San Antonio, and Oceanogràfic València, with Mystic Aquarium participating in the move planning.
- Final authorizations under Canada’s Fisheries Act are not yet granted because the transfers require individual animal health checks and coordinated approvals from Health Canada, the Canada Border Services Agency and other agencies.
- A detailed transport plan describes an unprecedented, large‑scale operation using single‑whale containers, specialized trucks, teams from multiple aquariums and police escorts, and officials say the physical moves could take place in the coming months if all approvals and logistics are completed.
- Marineland has argued it faces imminent financial collapse and previously threatened mass euthanasia if animals are not rehomed, while provincial records show 20 cetacean deaths there since 2019, prompting scrutiny from animal‑welfare groups over breeding and performance use at receiving facilities.