The last of Marineland Canada’s beluga whales were expected to leave the shuttered aquatic park Monday, with two heading for Shedd Aquarium, according to Canadian media reports.
“There will no longer be any beluga whales or any other type of whales in captivity in Canada at the end of today,” Andrew Burns, Marineland’s adviser, told The Canadian Press.
Four more belugas were headed to SeaWorld in San Antonio, according to the news agency.
Monday’s departures means 30 belugas and four dolphins have been shipped out of Marineland for four U.S. aquariums and one in Spain.
The shipment comes on the heels of a Shedd announcement last week that one of the Marineland belugas — Peekachu, a 23-year-old female — had died. Shedd has not released a cause of death, but staff there said last week that Peekachu had not been consistently eating a full diet since her arrival and that there were concerns she was dehydrated.
Peekachu was part of a group of four belugas that arrived Aug. 13, joining four other beluga rescues that arrived from Marineland Canada July 21. In total, Shedd had expected to house 18 belugas, including the eight already living at the aquarium before the Marineland whales arrived and the two expected to leave Canada Monday. That number is now down to 17.
The Marineland belugas had been living at the park, which has for years faced criticism that its animals were living in unsanitary conditions. The park closed to the public in 2024 and Marineland officials, citing extreme financial difficulties, had threatened to euthanize the whales if permanent homes couldn’t be found.