Six beluga whales finally leave embattled Canadian marine park

Six beluga whales have left Marineland, the long-troubled marine park in Niagara Falls, Canada, and are being flown to aquariums in the United States this week, according to a monitored public feed based on reporting by The Guardian World.

The transfer marks the end of a prolonged and highly controversial chapter for the animals, which had remained at the center of a years-long dispute over their care and future. Marineland had previously threatened to euthanise the cetaceans, adding urgency to efforts to move them out of the facility.

The whales are now on their way to US aquariums, where they are expected to live under conditions that advocates say are better than those at Marineland. Even so, campaigners have cautioned that life in aquarium settings may still present challenges for the belugas after their long captivity in Canada.

Marineland has faced sustained scrutiny over its treatment of marine animals, and the departure of the six belugas closes one of the park’s most prominent and contentious sagas. While the move has been welcomed as a relief for the whales, it also renews discussion about the welfare of captive cetaceans and the limits of what relocation can solve.

The report is based on a monitored public feed and summarizes information attributed to The Guardian World.

Source: The Guardian World - https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jul/22/six-beluga-whales-finally-leave-embattled-canadian-marine-park