Six beluga whales rescued from abandoned theme park

By Lauren Wilkin

Six beluga whales have been rescued from a closed theme park where more than a dozen animals have allegedly died.

Marineland, in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, has been closed to the public for two years, and in 2025 officials threatened to euthanize the 30 beluga whales still in tanks.

But after years of campaigning, the mission is underway to move them to new homes in the U.S.

"It's a milestone — we've been trying to do this for a decade," said Marketa Schusterova, co-founder of TideBreakers, the charity that campaigned for the rescue.

"The TideBreakers team has monitored Marineland Canada, documenting conditions, exposing animal deaths, and advocating for improved welfare for every animal held at the facility.

"Since 2019, 20 animals have died at the facility, including 19 beluga whales and Kiska, Canada's last captive orca."

Six of the remaining 30 beluga whales have already been moved to other facilities, including the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago and SeaWorld in San Antonio.

Drone footage shows the huge rescue mission that took place on July 20, where cranes lifted the animals — weighing up to 3,500 pounds — into transport trucks.

It shows a heartbreaking moment where the rescue team captures a beluga, while the other whales watch on.

Due to a lack of sanctuaries and because they are not fit for release into the wild, they will likely live out the rest of their lives in captivity in other facilities.

TideBreakers has campaigned to move the remaining animals at Marineland to a safer environment for years, and in 2019 Canada passed the Ending the Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act, bringing an end to the breeding and future captivity of cetaceans for entertainment.

However, the charity noted that despite this, "there are currently no operational sea sanctuaries for beluga whales anywhere in the world capable of receiving these animals immediately."

"As a result, relocation to another captive facility is presently the only realistic short-term option to improve the welfare of animals living in deteriorating conditions while long-term sanctuary solutions continue to be developed," Schusterova said.

And this is a wider issue than Marineland alone.

Around the world, marine parks are closing, leaving whales and dolphins caught in a growing welfare crisis while governments, facility owners, scientists and advocacy organizations debate the best long-term solutions.

"We cannot simply demand that facilities 'empty the tanks' without having safe, practical destinations ready for the animals," Schusterova says.

TideBreakers believes immediate animal welfare must always remain the priority.

"We hope governments, accredited facilities, scientists and nongovernmental organizations can work together to develop realistic, compassionate solutions that protect the animals both today and in the future," Schusterova says.

"Our shared goal should be to end cetacean captivity responsibly while ensuring no animal is left to suffer in the process."

A date for the rescue of the remaining 24 belugas is yet to be confirmed.

Marineland had shuttered after the death of the zoo’s owners, John Holer and Marie Holer, in 2024, according to CBC.

It is understood staff continued to care for the sea creatures.