UPDATE: 1/27/26 —
Canada’s federal government has issued conditional approval allowing Marineland to export its remaining 30+ beluga whales and dolphins to the United States, following reports that the animals could otherwise be euthanized if permits were not approved quickly.
Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson announced the decision Monday, stressing that no final permits will be granted unless Marineland provides additional, detailed information about transport and care plans.
If approved, the animals would be sent to four U.S.-based facilities, including SeaWorld, Georgia Aquarium, Shedd Aquarium, and Mystic Aquarium. Marineland, located in Niagara Falls, Canada, has long been criticized for its treatment of captive marine mammals. A previous attempt to export the animals to China was rejected, intensifying pressure on the company and government officials to act quickly to relocate them.
While this conditional approval may temporarily spare the animals from euthanasia, it is not a victory yet. Moving highly sensitive marine mammals, many of whom have endured years of confinement, poses serious risks.
WAN, Peace 4 Animals, and global advocates demand full transparency and oversight to prevent stress, suffering, breeding, or use for entertainment. Ideally, the whales and dolphins should be moved to a true marine sanctuary, which has yet to be established, where they could safely live out the rest of their lives.
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UPDATE 1/23/26 —
Marineland of Canada has asked the federal government for permission to export its remaining 30 beluga whales and four dolphins to facilities in the United States, warning the animals could be euthanized if permits are not approved quickly, a threat animal welfare advocates say reflects the failures of marine mammal captivity.
The now-closed Niagara Falls park claims it is running out of time and resources to care for the animals and has described a narrow window for transport. The proposal was presented to Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson, whose office confirmed the applications are under review. Advocates argue that urgency created by years of mismanagement should not justify rushed decisions that further endanger the animals.
Reports that Marineland may consider euthanasia if export permits are denied have sparked widespread outrage. Advocates warn this highlights the inherent injustice of keeping intelligent marine mammals confined for entertainment.
SeaWorld, Georgia Aquarium, Shedd Aquarium, and Mystic Aquarium have been named as potential destinations for the marine mammals, though no public commitments have been made. Advocates say transferring the belugas and dolphins from one captive facility to another only extends their suffering and ignores the deeper ethical issue of lifelong confinement.
The request follows the Canadian government’s 2025 rejection of a proposal to export Marineland’s beluga whales to China, a decision based on animal welfare concerns and Canada’s move away from marine mammal’s in captivity for human entertainment.
Marineland has faced years of scrutiny. Since 2019, at least 20 whales, including 19 belugas, have died at the facility. Animal protection groups are urging the government to ensure that any approved exports include strict conditions preventing breeding or use of the animals for entertainment.
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UPDATE: In a disturbing escalation, Marineland Canada has reportedly threatened to euthanize its remaining 30 beluga whales after the Canadian government denied the facility’s request to export them to a marine park in China. This shocking ultimatum has sparked outrage among animal welfare organizations, scientists, and concerned citizens around the world.
The federal government previously rejected the proposed transfer on the grounds that it would violate Canada’s laws against the exploitation of cetaceans and perpetuate the cycle of captivity. Now, instead of working toward a compassionate alternative, Marineland appears to be using the lives of these intelligent, social marine mammals as leverage in a bid for emergency funding and regulatory concessions.
These whales, many of whom were born in captivity, are entirely dependent on human care. Their future must not be decided by financial convenience or institutional failure. It is time for the Canadian government to act decisively and humanely. A permanent, sanctuary-based solution must be found that prioritizes the whales’ welfare, not Marineland’s business interests.
TAKE ACTION! Demand that the Canadian government immediately intervene to ensure the protection of these 30 beluga whales. Send email HERE!
October 1st: In a significant victory for animal welfare, Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) has officially denied Marineland’s request to export 30 beluga whales to Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, a large aquarium and theme park in China.
DFO Minister Joanne Thompson confirmed the decision, stating she could not “in good conscience” approve the export. She emphasized that allowing the transfer would have meant condemning these whales to continued captivity and public entertainment, a direct contradiction of Canada’s values and marine mammal protection laws.
Under the 2019 Ending the Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act, it is illegal to breed or use whales, dolphins, and porpoises for entertainment in Canada. Exporting these animals now requires a special federal permit, which was rightfully denied.
We are relieved that these intelligent, social animals will not be sent overseas to suffer further exploitation. But the fight is not over. Canada must now take the next step by supporting the creation of sea sanctuaries where these whales can live out the rest of their lives in a more natural and peaceful environment.
This decision marks a hopeful milestone, but true progress will come when these animals are granted the retirement they deserve.
September 9th: In a deeply disturbing move, Marineland Canada has applied for permits to export its remaining 30 beluga whales to a theme park in China. These whales are sentient, intelligent beings who have already endured years of confinement, and are now facing the terrifying possibility of being shipped halfway across the world to spend the rest of their lives in tanks, far from the cold North Atlantic waters where they belong.
Animal welfare organizations are justifiably outraged. This is not merely a relocation, but a violation of public trust, a rejection of scientific knowledge, and a betrayal of these beluga whales.
Beluga whales are highly intelligent creatures, capable of forming deep familial bonds, navigating vast ocean distances, and communicating through complex vocalizations. Confining them to concrete tanks is not only unethical, it’s torture. Now they will be sent to a country where there are virtually no enforceable animal welfare laws.
”We’ve long known MarineLand was intent on sending the whales to China but there’s no tank space yet at Chimelong Ocean Kingdom – which means the whales are forced to remain in awful and deteriorating conditions while Andrew Burns (MarineLand’s lawyer) seeks top dollar instead of prioritizing their welfares. Those animals need to be moved asap into better conditions or more will die. Sadly, there are no current sanctuaries to send them to so they’ll have to go to other facilities. Better and ASAP,” Phil Demers, Director of UrgentSeas, told WAN.
Once the whales are shipped overseas, Canada will have no control over their treatment, health, or survival. They could be forced to perform daily and condemned to a life of permanent captivity for entertainment.
The answer isn’t more concrete tanks, it’s sea sanctuaries, safe ocean havens where once-captive marine mammals can spend the rest of their lives with freedom, dignity, and room to live.
Canada’s 2019 ban on the captivity of whales and dolphins was a landmark achievement. Yet permitting this export would undermine that progress, signaling that financial interests take precedence over compassion.
For these belugas, every day in a tank is a day of suffering. But their story isn’t over. Their future can be one of hope, where they are given freedom instead of being forced to perform for entertainment.
The answer is clear: stop the export and build a sanctuary.
TAKE ACTION! Tell the Canadian government to protect these beluga whales from dangerous transfers by signing Animal Justice’s petition HERE!
