After Theme Park Closing, a Relocation of the Whales

A half dozen beluga whales just logged a 1,500-mile move from a closed Canadian park to new tanks in the United States. Two whales from Marineland in Niagara Falls—Bertie Botts and Frankie—arrived this week at SeaWorld San Antonio, settling into a 2-million-gallon saltwater habitat, while four others were shipped to Chicago's Shedd Aquarium, reports CBS News. They're the first of 28 belugas expected to be relocated after Marineland, shut to visitors since 2024, said it could no longer afford their care and warned that euthanasia was on the table without a plan.

The Toronto Star features footage from the Canadian Press of Bertie Botts being hoisted out of the water via a crane at Marineland at the beginning of his long journey. US regulators signed off on the relocation in July, saying no Canadian facility could meet the whales' medical needs. SeaWorld says Bertie Botts and Frankie are eating well and exhibiting active behavior. Eleven more Marineland belugas are slated for San Antonio, with others bound for aquariums in Georgia, San Diego, Chicago, and even overseas in Spain. Canadian Geographic has much more on the plight of Marineland's whales.