Science & Nature
Shedd Aquarium Joins Global Effort to Rescue Beluga Whales From Defunct Canadian Marine Park
Beluga whales at Shedd Aquarium will soon have company. (Brenna Hernandez / Shedd Aquarium)
An unprecedented international rescue effort is underway to find new homes for some 30 beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) currently in limbo after the mammals’ marine park in Canada closed.
Shedd Aquarium announced it’s stepping up to the challenge and is preparing to accept as many as 10 of the whales, aquarium officials said.
Other facilities participating in the rescue include Georgia Aquarium, SeaWorld San Antonio and SeaWorld San Diego in the U.S., along with Oceanogràfic de València in Spain.
Dr. Karisa Tang, who oversees the veterinary medical program at Shedd Aquarium, said the rescue “provides the best possible life for these belugas.”
The belugas’ plight has been making headlines in Canada for months. The whales’ current home at Marineland, a longtime tourist attraction in Niagara Falls, Ontario, has been cited by the Canadian government for animal welfare concerns.
Marineland’s founder, John Holer, died in 2018, and his wife put the park up for sale in 2023, before she died in 2024, when Marineland effectively closed to the public, according to a report in the Associated Press.
At one point, Marineland planned to send the belugas to China, a plan that was blocked by Canadian authorities, leading the park to threaten to euthanize the whales, according to the Guardian. Those same Canadian authorities recently approved the transfer of the park’s remaining whales and dolphins to accredited U.S. and Spanish aquariums.
Animal rights advocates had argued for the belugas’ release into a marine sanctuary.
Kayley Galassini, a spokesperson for Shedd Aquarium, told WTTW News that no sea pens currently exist with the capacity or level of care the belugas need.
“This rescue is needed now,” Galassini said, “and Shedd can provide the expert care required.”
Shedd has a long history of caring for belugas, which make their home in the aquarium’s 3-million-gallon Abbott Oceanarium.
Due to the complexity of the rescue, the exact timeline remains fluid for the belugas’ arrival in Chicago, but the rescue is likely to occur within the next few weeks.
The whales will be flown in temporary holding tanks designed specifically for belugas, and veterinarians and caretakers will be by their sides the entire time, Tang said.
As the belugas settle into their new home, they will be closely monitored for signs of healthy adjustment or distress.
“We are going to follow each individual’s needs and their pace,” Tang said.
Contact Patty Wetli: [email protected]
