Two U.S. aquariums call plan to move belugas from Marineland ‘premature’

Marineland has presented a plan to the federal government to transport more than 30 remaining captive whales and dolphins in Canada to a number of institutions in the U.S.

If not, they’ll move forward with their backup plan to euthanize the animals.

Two American aquariums tell CHCH News they were part of a recent visit to the park, but say it’s too soon to commit to taking Marineland’s animals.

Sending nearly identical statements, Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta and Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut tell CHCH News: “To be clear, it’s premature for any U.S.-based facilities to formally commit to taking in the Marineland belugas.”

A visit last week to Marineland by officials from those parks and two other American aquariums was “an opportunity for experts from four [Association Of Zoos And Aquariums]-accredited facilities – Shedd Aquarium, Georgia Aquarium, Mystic Aquarium and SeaWorld – to familiarize themselves with the belugas’ physical health and social dynamics.”

The aquariums say they were invited by the non-profit organization, Canada’s Accredited Zoos and Aquariums, as part of an effort to support the long-term care of Marineland’s 30 belugas.

In an email to CHCH News, Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson’s office said she met with Marineland yesterday, at their request.

“During the meeting, the minister was presented with new export permit applications. The minister will review them expeditiously,” the email reads.

The whales and dolphins cost millions of dollars to care for, and shuttered Marineland – which hasn’t been open since 2024 and has been trying to sell off its amusement rides – has previously said it is running out of money.

WATCH MORE: The fate of Marineland’s 30 beluga whales remains uncertain

In a phone call today, a Marineland representative declined to speak on record with CHCH News. But in a previously issued statement to The Canadian Press, Marineland says they offered the minister “a definitive and urgent rescue solution for the whales.”

“We now look to her to fulfill her commitment to immediate action; the survival of these whales depends solely on the swift issuance of these permits.”

Minister Thompson would have to issue export permits to allow the whales to leave Canada.

“It’s unfortunate it’s being accompanied by this death threat,” said Angela Fernandez, animal law professor from the University of Toronto.

Fernandez says the plan to send them to several facilities in the U.S. has pros and cons, but a major concern would be if they are bred.

“Because every time a new one of these cetaceans is brought into existence, they’re gonna live that whole time in these very small, inappropriate and really cruel kinds of conditions,” said Fernandez.

Fernandez also says finding a veterinarian to actually kill the animals may be difficult.

“Veterinary codes of conduct don’t permit euthanasia for economic reasons,” said Fernandez.

WATCH MORE: Ottawa denies Marineland request to export 30 beluga whales to China

Animal trainer Phil Demers says he suggested the plan in September, as the whale death toll is sitting at 20 since 2019.

“I think Marineland’s efforts to sell the whales to China for top dollar, rather than address their [the whale’s] immediate needs, was appropriately rejected by the government given that they wanted to see a plan that addressed the whales interests more and these U.S. facilities do so,” Demers said.

“I always assumed these facilities wouldn’t do business with Marineland, via financial transaction, so this is being framed as a rescue and I think that’s what invited all of these facilities to the table finally.”

There’s still the lingering concern that there wouldn’t be room for all the whales at the facilities in the United States but Demers says if the export permit is finalized, the whales can be moved fairly quickly.

Sources say the whales will be split up if the plan moves forward but an effort will be made to keep family units together.

CHCH News has reached out to Canada’s Accredited Zoos and Aquariums for more information about last week’s visit to Marineland.

Twenty whales and a dolphin have died at the Niagara Falls park since 2019, but the park denies any wrongdoing in their care.

Mystic Aquarium previously bought five belugas from Marineland in 2021, three of them have since died, and Mystic says the deaths were due to pre-existing conditions.

READ MORE: ‘We need to get them out’: Beluga trainer fired by Marineland speaks out