Canada has reached a tentative deal to export 30 beluga whales from Marineland amusement park to four aquariums in the United States. The move, which also includes four dolphins, aims to remove the last captive whales in the country after the park closed to the public in 2024.
The logistics of transporting the whales are complex. Each whale will receive a health check, and those deemed fit will be given Valium to calm them before travel. Their tank water will be lowered, and trainers will guide them into fabric slings with holes for their pectoral fins. A crane will lift them into steel transport boxes filled with salt water, which will be loaded onto trucks and then onto aircraft, likely Lockheed C-130 Hercules planes.
Former trainer Phil Demers described the operation as 'long overdue' but noted that all the animals are compromised due to captivity. Two belugas have been receiving medical treatment recently. The largest whale ever transported, a grey whale calf named JJ, weighed nearly 20,000 pounds and was moved in a custom container.
The deal follows the rejection of a plan to sell the belugas to a Chinese aquarium, which led Marineland to threaten to kill the whales. The US aquariums have not confirmed they will accept the whales, stating that observations from a recent visit will inform future plans. Demers said that up to nine whales could be transported per trip, and the process can be completed quickly.
