Three rescued beluga whales have arrived at SeaWorld San Diego after traveling more than 2,500 miles from Canada following the closure of a marine park in Niagara Falls.<\/p>\n
Ever since that Ontario park, Marineland, shuttered in 2024, there has been a scramble to find homes for 30 beluga whales who were once kept there. Described by SeaWorld as \u201can unprecedented international whale rescue effort,\u201d the goal is to safely relocate the animals to suitable facilities, including aquariums and marine parks as far away as Atlanta and Valencia, Spain.<\/p>\n
\u201cThree more rescued belugas are safe,\u201d SeaWorld posted<\/a> on the social media site X on Saturday. Images shared along with that posting showed a large shipping container and a plane; a beluga suspended in a transport sling, with holes for its pectoral fins, over the container; a light gray beluga being hoisted through the air by a crane holding the sling; and a beluga swimming in water. The three belugas were transported to California on Saturday in a Qatar Airways Boeing 777 cargo plane.<\/p>\n The whales\u2019 full health picture was still being assessed earlier this summer, but the relocation plan \u201cwas built, as much as possible, on understanding their overall health, social bonds and multiple other factors,\u201d SeaWorld\u2019s chief zoological officer, Dr. Chris Dold, said in a statement<\/a> at the time. The three new arrivals will join SeaWorld San Diego\u2019s other belugas, a roster that includes three other whales transported there from Marineland.<\/p>\n Steve Aibel, SeaWorld San Antonio\u2019s vice president for animals and conservation, rode along for the first transport of six belugas in special cold-water-filled units earlier this year from Ontario to the Texas park and Chicago\u2019s Shedd Aquarium. To date, whales have been transported both by air and truck.<\/p>\n \u201cSeeing these first beluga whales arrive safely to their new homes is an important milestone, but it\u2019s not the finish line,\u201d Aibel said in the statement. \u201cOur team is laser focused on supporting each whale through this transition with individualized care, patience and observation to ensure their welfare. We\u2019re optimistic about what\u2019s ahead, while recognizing that every animal will adapt on its own timeline.\u201d<\/p>\n