Seven more Marineland beluga whales brought to U.S. aquariums

Efforts to save the remaining beluga whales at Marineland ramped up again Monday night with seven more whales escorted from the closed-amusement park to aquariums in the United States.

Marineland’s relocation plan began about two weeks ago, sending six whales to their new home at SeaWorld in San Antonio, Texas and Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.

On July 20, the first phase of a rescue operation out of the now defunct Marineland had taken place. Marine trainers were seen carefully placing one of six beluga whales onto a sling and hoisted into a truck.

Marine teams returned Monday night to rescue an additional seven whales bound for the U.S. 

“Another group of belugas has safely left Marineland and arrived in San Antonio,” Joanne Thompson, minister of the Office of Canada’s Fisheries told CHCH News in a statement.

“Seven more whales were relocated in this rescue and I continue to thank the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Canada’s Accredited Zoos and Aquariums, the receiving facilities and everyone whose dedication helped make this rescue possible.”

WATCH MORE: Six Marineland belugas successfully relocated to U.S. aquariums

“This requires the sudden and critical attention of all of the leading  marine mammal aquariums on the planet,” Marineland’s Legal Counsel Andrew Burns says.

Marineland also confirms the continuation of its relocation plan and the most recent whales that were shipped.

Xena, Gemini, Skyla, Meeka, Eve, Neva and Calypso are all headed to SeaWorld in San Antonio, Texas.

The park adds that it is prioritizing the health, safety and well-being of the beluga whales during their transfer.

“Our core unit provided an escort for the transport vehicles due to the high volume of traffic in the region and the need to ensure public safety,” Niagara police told CHCH News in a statement.

The amusement park in Niagara Falls has been closed to the public since 2024 as it looks to sell the park and its sprawling property.

The rescue efforts also come after years of controversy over the living conditions at the park. This includes a blocked attempt to ship the whales to China and the threat of having to euthanize all the belugas if Marineland didn’t obtain emergency funding from the federal government.

READ MORE: Six whales being moved out of Marineland, headed to U.S. aquariums