Shedd Aquarium to Take In 10 Beluga Whales From Closed Canadian Marine Park

The Shedd Aquarium is preparing to take in as many as 10 beluga whales rescued from a closed Canadian marine park. The Shedd is joining a handful of aquariums across two continents in the effort.

The whales are currently housed at Marineland of Canada, a zoo and amusement park in Niagara Falls, Ontario, that shut down in 2024. The Shedd said rescues are expected to begin within the next few weeks, though it has not said exactly when the animals will arrive in Chicago.

The Shedd is one of several facilities taking part in the effort to relocate 30 belugas stranded at Marineland. Aquariums in Georgia, San Diego and San Antonio are also involved, along with a facility in Spain.

Marineland closed after Canada passed a federal law in 2019 banning the breeding and use of whales, dolphins and porpoises for entertainment. The park had already drawn years of criticism from animal rights groups over how it treated its marine mammals. According to Canadian broadcaster CBC, 20 whales, including one killer whale and 19 belugas, have died at Marineland since 2019.

The path to the current rescue involved a failed attempt to move the animals overseas. Marineland was first denied permission to export the belugas to China. After that denial, the park's owner threatened to euthanize the whales unless they could be sent to the United States instead, CBC reported.

Canada's Accredited Zoos and Aquariums, the country's zoological governing body, then approached the Shedd about joining the rescue. The Chicago aquarium built out a plan for how to move and care for the animals once they arrive.

"Shedd is one of a handful of institutions currently existing that has the available space, expertise and resources to care for belugas. There is an urgent, timely need to find new homes for them, and we are here to help," said Dr. Karisa Tang, the Shedd's vice president of animal health, in a video statement posted by the aquarium.

Moving a beluga whale takes several steps. According to the Shedd, each animal will swim into a stretcher and be lifted from its habitat, then placed into a specially designed holding sling built for whale transport. From there, the whale is lifted into a truck, driven to an airport and flown to its new home. Veterinarians and caretakers will stay with each animal for the entire trip, the aquarium said.

"An international rescue at this scale has never been done before, and it's incredibly complex. Experts from around the globe have been working tirelessly on everything from supplies to cargo planes to veterinary and care support to make this rescue possible," Tang said.

Once the whales reach Chicago, they'll go into the Shedd's Abbott Oceanarium, a 3-million-gallon exhibit with six interconnected habitats reaching up to 30 feet deep. Staff will watch the new arrivals for signs they're settling in, including grooming, foraging and eating normally, which the aquarium considers markers of healthy adjustment.

The Shedd already cares for eight belugas. Adding up to 10 more would nearly triple its beluga population, though the aquarium has not said how many of the 10 will ultimately land in Chicago versus other participating facilities, or how the animals will be divided among the rescue partners.

No firm arrival date has been set. The Shedd says the first transports could begin within weeks, with veterinary teams and logistics staff from multiple countries coordinating cargo flights, ground transport and medical support to move the animals out of the shuttered Ontario park.