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Thirty belugas left to rot in theme park abandoned for two years get lifeline

A group of 30 whales stranded at a shuttered theme park is set to be transferred to new homes in the US and Spain after being offered a new lease of life, subject to passing veterinary checks

[Beluga whales swim in a tank at Marineland amusement park in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, June 9, 2023. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)]

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Thirty beluga whales stranded at a shuttered theme park have been offered a new lease of life (Image: AP)

A group of thirty beluga whales stranded at a shuttered theme park has been offered a new lease of life. The whales have been kept at the now-closed Marineland in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, since 2024 and faced euthanasia if a move wasn't ratified. They are now expected to be relocated to aquariums in the US and Spain.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration approved the transfer last week, subject to the whales passing veterinary checks. Teams from the US facilities are due to visit shortly to assess the animals and plan the move.

A representative for the American aquarium consortium said of the whales: "This rescue effort will take several weeks to mobilize and complete, and the comfort and safety of the whales remains of the utmost importance."

A protected species, belugas are one of the smaller species of whale, 13 to 20 feet in length, and are commonly found in the Arctic Ocean. They're considered sociable and curious animals and sometimes known as "canaries of the sea".

[This aerial view shows various belugas still held in captivity at the now closed Artic Cove exhibit, at Marineland, in Niagara Falls, Canada, on November 13, 2025. The remaining 30 captive belugas at Canada's Marineland have nothing to do but wait. ]

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The whales have been kept at the now-closed Marineland in Niagara Falls (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

National Geographic says beluga whales typically live in pods and are "very vocal communicators", known for their "clicks, whistles and clangs" - and for copying other sounds as well.

The park itself has reportedly faced severe financial difficulties, culminating in its closure. Figures gathered by The Canadian Press also show that 20 whales at the site have died since 2019.

A total of five aquariums are set to take in the animals. Two will be moved to Spains Oceanogrfic Valncia, while the remaining belugas will be relocated to facilities in the United States.

[A beluga whale surfaces from a tank to be fed by an employee at Marineland amusement park in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, June 9, 2023. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)]

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A beluga whale surfaces from a tank to be fed by an employee at Marineland (Image: AP)

They are as follows: SeaWorld in San Diego and San Antonio, Atlanta's Georgia Aquarium, and Chicago's Shedd Aquarium, with the animals set to benefit from "high-quality environments".

In a statement, the group added: "Once the belugas are cleared for travel by Canadian veterinarians, aquarium experts will accompany the animals to their new homes, where they will be met with diverse seafood to meet their nutritional needs, high-quality environments with guaranteed water quality and onsite medical care should they require it at any time"

In other whale news, five weeks after becoming stranded off Germanys coast, a humpback whale, affectionately named "Timmy", was finally rescued by a special barge after it became entangled on Timmendorfer Beach in Lbeck Bay in March.

[Graffiti on a sidewalk in front of now-closed Marineland attraction park reads: "Let the belugas live", in Niagara Falls, Canada, on November 13, 2025. The remaining 30 captive belugas at Canada's Marineland have nothing to do but wait. The reportedly broke former tourist attraction is closed to visitors, so the whales circle their decaying pools, while the park's owners -- who issued a shocking threat to euthanize the belugas -- spar with the government over what happens next. (Photo by Daphn LEMELIN / AFP via Getty Images)]

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Graffiti on a sidewalk in front of now-closed Marineland attraction park reads: "Let the belugas live" (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

The whale was taken to the North Sea via Denmark after it was lured onto a water-filled barge. Till Backhaus, environment minister for Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, dubbed the rescue an "example for Germany of what can be done".

He told reporters: "If everything goes well, it will be in the North Sea in two days." Karin Walter-Mommert, one of the entrepreneurs who financed the operation (alongside Walter Gunz), said: "I can't even say how happy I am."

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