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2w ago

U.S. Authorizes Emergency Rescue to Rehome Marineland’s Belugas and Dolphins

Accredited U.S. aquariums will send care teams to Niagara Falls to conduct Canadian-cleared health checks before any animals are moved.

Beluga whales swim in a tank at Marineland in Niagara Falls, Ont., Friday, June 9, 2023. Another beluga whale has died Marineland, bringing the number of dead whales at the Niagara Falls, Ont., tourist attraction to 15 over the past four years.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
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Overview

  • The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration approved an emergency import this week, and consortium spokespeople said care teams will travel to Marineland to assess the animals’ health before transfer.
  • Shedd Aquarium confirmed it will take up to 10 belugas and the remaining whales and dolphins are slated for Georgia Aquarium, SeaWorld San Antonio, SeaWorld San Diego, and Oceanogràfic Valencia in Spain.
  • Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans issued initial export permits in June and will give final authorization only after accredited Canadian veterinarians complete on-site health checks.
  • Transport plans call for belugas to swim into stretchers, be lifted into travel tanks, trucked to airports and flown with veterinarians and caretakers accompanying them.
  • The move follows Marineland’s 2024 closure and a string of welfare concerns and deaths; rights groups are pressing Ottawa to require that exported whales not be bred or forced to perform.