Remaining beluga whales at Canada's Marineland to find new homes in US
Marine mammals trapped at a shuttered theme park in Canada are set to be transported to wildlife aquatic facilities in the United States, pending clearance from Canadian veterinarians.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has "authorized an emergency rescue" for the remaining whales at Marineland, a once-popular theme park near Niagara Falls in Canada that closed in 2024, according to a statement issued by a group of aquariums part of the mission.
"NOAA joins Canadian authorities in recognizing a rescue, led by a collective of aquariums all accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), is in the best interest of the whales' wellbeing," the statement reads.
Roughly 30 beluga whales and four dolphins are believed to still be alive at the theme park, according to previous USA TODAY reporting. The mammals, also referred to as "canary of the sea," cannot be released into the wild because they were born and raised in captivity.
The emergency rescue plan, endorsed by Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans, saves the Arctic and sub-Arctic water natives from being euthanized, allowing them a second chance at life. The whales are expected to be moved to four accredited aquariums in the United States, including the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, SeaWorld in San Diego and SeaWorld in San Antonio. An aquarium in Spain, Oceanografic Valencia, has also offered to take in animals, though they are still awaiting the necessary permits from the Spanish government.
'Largest, most complex beluga rescue'
The Georgia Aquarium, in a July 8 post on Instagram, said it has been working with other accredited aquariums for several months to rescue the 30 beluga whales and "officially have government authorization" to bring two of the whales to its facility in Atlanta.
"Without this rescue, the whales' future was unknown," the aquarium said. "Now, we can care for them and ensure they are given every possible chance to thrive."
The aquarium added that the rescue is "one of the largest, and most complex, beluga rescues in our history," so it will "not happen overnight."
"The wellbeing of these animals is critical, and it is too soon to say when they will arrive at their new homes," the Georgia Aquarium said.
Animals to undergo health checks in Canada
Canadian Minister of Fisheries Joanne Thompson, in a statement, referred to the development as "an encouraging and critical next step for the safe relocation of the whales."
"Canadian CITES permits have been issued, and as a condition of approving the export permits, a health check for each animal must be completed by a Canadian accredited veterinarian," Thompson said.
Once this step is complete and all appropriate documentation has been provided to Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Thompson said she "will provide the final Fisheries Act authorizations to enable the relocation."
The aquariums, in the collective statement, said "dedicated care staff from the aquariums" will travel to Canada to assess their well-being and make travel preparations.
"Once the belugas are cleared for travel by Canadian veterinarians, aquarium experts will accompany the animals to their new homes, where they will be met with diverse seafood to meet their nutritional needs, high-quality environments with guaranteed water quality and onsite medical care should they require it at any time," the statement reads. "This rescue effort will take several weeks to mobilize and complete, and the comfort and safety of the whales remains of the utmost importance."
What happened to Marineland?
Marineland, based in Niagara Falls, closed to the public in 2024 amid financial hardships and concerns about animal welfare. The theme park had previously requested approval to export its remaining whales to the Chinese theme park Chimelong Ocean Kingdom in October 2025, but that request was denied.
Thompson did not approve the permits for that transfer because she said she would not force the whales to continue performing in captivity.
According to Animal Justice, at least 19 beluga whales, three seals, one dolphin and multiple penguins and sea lions have died at Marineland since 2019. The nonprofit said Marineland threatened to euthanize the remaining mammals if the export permits were not quickly approved, according to a January news release.
Contributing: Michelle Del Rey, Mary Walrath-Holdridge / USA TODAY
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@usatodayco.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Remaining beluga whales at Canada's Marineland to find new homes in US
Reporting by Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY / USA TODAY
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This story was originally published July 13, 2026 at 6:59 PM.