Beluga Rescue
Canada Negotiates Transfer of 30 Belugas to Spain to Prevent Euthanasia
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Canada is racing to find a home for nearly 30 beluga whales stranded at Marineland, a theme park in Niagara Falls, Ontario. The park's new owners have no interest in keeping its marine animals, and without a solution, euthanasia — the deliberate killing of the animals — looms as a last resort. La Nueva España reports that negotiations are now underway to send the entire group to Spain.
The leading candidate to receive the belugas is the Oceanogràfic de Valencia, the largest aquarium in Europe. Spanish and Canadian officials are working through complex legal, logistical, and diplomatic hurdles to make the transfer happen. If successful, it would be the largest mass movement of cetaceans in history.
How Marineland's Belugas Ended Up With No Home
The crisis began in 2019, when Canada passed the S-203 Act — a law banning the breeding, capture, and import of whales and dolphins in captivity. Marineland could no longer grow or replace its animal population. The park was already struggling. Between 2019 and 2024, 15 belugas died there, according to records from Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) obtained by The Canadian Press.
In May 2024, owner Marie Holer sold the park to a construction and entertainment company called Dreamland. The new owners made clear they did not want the animals. That left roughly 30 belugas — many born in captivity, with no skills to survive in the wild — in urgent need of a new home. Marineland issued a statement saying its "absolute priority is finding a home where these belugas receive the expert care they deserve."
Why Spain's Oceanogràfic Is the Top Candidate
The Oceanogràfic de Valencia already has experience with belugas. It is home to Yulka and Kylu, two belugas it has cared for previously. No other facility in Europe has that background. Dr. Daniel García Parraga, the aquarium's biological director, is leading the technical team reviewing whether Spain can absorb the animals safely.
However, experts raise doubts about space. Dr. Naomi Rose of the Animal Welfare Institute says the Oceanogràfic does not have room for 30 additional belugas on a permanent basis. This has led to speculation that Valencia could serve as a transit and quarantine hub, with animals later distributed to other qualified facilities across Europe.
Moving 30 Whales Across the Atlantic Is an Enormous Feat
The logistics of this operation are staggering. Experts estimate the transfer would cost between $20 million and $30 million USD. It would require multiple large cargo aircraft — such as a Boeing 747 — custom-built life-support tanks, and a veterinary team of more than 50 people. The 3,500-kilometer flight from Ontario to Valencia alone poses serious health risks. Transport stress is one of the leading causes of death in cetacean transfers.
Formal permits under CITES — the international treaty that controls trade in endangered species — must be approved before any animal leaves Canada. The Canadian government must also confirm that Spain's facilities meet strict welfare standards. Canada's DFO has conducted more than 160 inspections at Marineland since 2020, and officials want to ensure this transfer is not seen as simply moving animals from one tank to another.
Animal Rights Groups Say Tanks Are Not Enough
Not everyone sees the Spain deal as a victory. Camille Labchuk of Animal Justice, Canada's leading animal law organization, has been clear: "The transfer to another tank is not a win. The win would be a coastal marine sanctuary." Her group and others like World Animal Protection argue that moving belugas from one enclosed pool to another simply exports the ethical problem rather than solving it.
A 2024 Abacus Data poll found that 72% of Canadians support ending the captivity of whales and dolphins. That public pressure gives the government little room to be seen as simply handing animals off to a foreign aquarium. Still, with euthanasia as the only alternative being discussed, Spain's offer remains the most viable option on the table — and the clock is ticking.
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