Canada's Last Captive Belugas in Peril After Park Closure
Thirty beluga whales, once the stars of marine shows that delighted families for decades, now face the grim prospect of being euthanised following the closure of their Canadian home. The magnificent white cetaceans continue to swim in circles within their deteriorating pools at Marineland, Canada, as park owners remain locked in a bitter dispute with the federal government.
From Family Entertainment to Animal Welfare Crisis
Before shutting its gates last summer, Marineland operated as a popular tourist attraction for nearly 60 years, famous for its captive whale and dolphin performances. The park's financial collapse has been attributed to crumbling infrastructure and falling visitor numbers, transforming what was once a source of family joy into the centre of an urgent animal-welfare emergency.
The situation escalated when Marineland attempted to sell its entire beluga population to a theme park in Zhuhai, China, only to have the Canadian government block the transfer. Officials expressed concerns that the whales would continue to face substandard treatment as public entertainment in their potential new home.
In response, park management issued a shocking threat: they might be forced to euthanise all 30 beluga whales unless they received emergency federal funding to cover the substantial costs of maintaining the animals. This desperate request was ultimately rejected by authorities.
Legal Limbo and Sanctuary Hope
This particular group of marine mammals represents the world's largest captive beluga population and constitutes Canada's final captive cetaceans. Although Canada implemented a ban on cetacean captivity in 2019, the legislation didn't mandate the release or relocation of animals already living in captivity - including Marineland's residents.
Former Marineland trainer Phil Demers has publicly questioned the legitimacy of the euthanasia threat, stating: 'It's illegal. No one's going to ever participate in such a heinous thing.' Demers believes the park remains primarily profit-driven and genuinely wants to sell the whales elsewhere.
Kristy Burgess, who began her career at Marineland before becoming a trainer, expressed deep concern for the whales' wellbeing. She described their living conditions as 'abusive' while acknowledging that staff members genuinely cared for the animals. 'There's a handful of whales, three in particular, that I constantly think about and wonder how they're doing,' she revealed.
A potential solution has emerged with the provincial government's approval of a whale sanctuary site on Nova Scotia's east coast. If successfully developed, this would become North America's first coastal sanctuary specifically designed for retired captive whales, offering hope for these magnificent creatures' future.
