SeaWorld San Antonio is part of an international collaboration to rescue 30 beluga whales from Marineland, a closed theme park in Canada.
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SeaWorld San Antonio will be part of an international rescue effort to save 30 beluga whales from a closed Canadian theme park.
The park is one of several marine life facilities that was approved to take in the whales from Marineland, along with SeaWorld San Diego, Shedd Aquarium in Chicago and the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta.
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Oceanogràfic València, in Spain, is also participating in the rescue, and Connecticut’s Mystic Aquarium won’t receive any whales but is assisting with the effort, SeaWorld said.
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“We are happy to report that National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has given approval for us, along with our partners, to save thirty beluga whales stranded at a closed park in Canada,” SeaWorld said in a post on Facebook.
“These whales are currently living at Marineland of Canada, a park that has closed and is no longer able to provide for their long-term care,” the post said. “This has created an urgent animal welfare situation that requires experienced, accredited marine life experts to step in.”
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Marineland was a park and zoo in Ontario, near Niagara Falls. It closed to the public in 2024, and officials there have battled with the Canadian government over the fate of its remaining animals, the Guardian reported.
Last fall, Marineland threatened to euthanize the 30 beluga whales if the government did not approve permits to transfer them or provide funding for the park, the publication reported at the time. The park was seeking permission to send the whales to Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, a theme park in Zhuhai, China, but the federal agency blocked the move.
In June, Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans endorsed a new plan to move the whales to the United States and Spain, and the U.S. government signed off recently.
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Before the whales are moved, veterinarians will assess them and begin preparing them for travel, SeaWorld said. That process could take weeks, the company said.
“When they arrive, the whales will receive specialized care, carefully managed diets, high-quality environments, guaranteed water quality and access to onsite medical teams whenever needed,” SeaWorld said.
The company didn’t specify how many whales will ultimately come to San Antonio. A Shedd Aquarium official told Canadian outlet CBC last week that two will go to Oceanogràfic València, and the remaining 28 to the United States. In a post on Facebook, Georgia Aquarium said it will also receive two of the animals.
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“We have a long road ahead as we undertake one of the largest, and most complex, beluga rescues in our history,” the aquarium said. “This 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.”