Canada’s Last Captive Whales Have Left Marineland, but Their Care Story Is Not Over
The final six belugas have been transferred to U.S. aquariums, ending whale captivity in Canada while serious health questions continue after the move.
Updated September 10, 2026
A beluga whale at Marineland in Niagara Falls. Credit: Dennis Jarvis/Wikimedia Commons via Buffalo Toronto Public Media. Confirm the original Wikimedia licence and attribution before publication.
The last six belugas held at Marineland left the Niagara Falls property on August 31, completing an international relocation that moved 30 belugas and four dolphins to aquariums in the United States and Spain.
Yukon and Gimli arrived at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago on September 1, while Tofino, Tank, Odin and Orion went to SeaWorld San Antonio. With the Marineland animals gone, no captive whales are known to remain in Canada.
The transport chapter is over, but the care story is not. Several recently relocated belugas at Shedd Aquarium have presented clinical concerns, and the aquarium has reported three beluga deaths within days — two involving whales transferred from Marineland and one involving a longtime Shedd resident.
The Final Six Have Reached Their New Homes
Shedd said Yukon, 8, and Gimli, 7, arrived safely on September 1 in the third and final transport to Chicago. Four other belugas — Tofino, Tank, Odin and Orion — were transferred to SeaWorld San Antonio, completing the broader relocation from Marineland.
In all, the operation moved animals to five receiving institutions. Georgia Aquarium says 16 belugas went to SeaWorld San Diego and SeaWorld San Antonio, 10 to Shedd Aquarium, two to Georgia Aquarium, and two belugas plus four dolphins to Oceanogràfic València in Spain. The full relocation was completed on September 1 after six transports over six weeks.
Marineland had been closed and nonoperational for nearly two years and was in financial crisis when the rescue plan was finalized. In January, federal briefing material recorded Marineland as warning that the remaining belugas and dolphins faced euthanasia if exports could not proceed.
The previous October, the federal Fisheries Minister denied Marineland’s request to export 30 belugas to Chimelong Ocean Kingdom in China because the proposed destination had not committed to a no-breeding condition and the whales were likely to be used for public entertainment. In January 2026, Ottawa conditionally approved exports to U.S. facilities, subject to veterinary assessments, destination information and transport plans.
The Medical Story Is Still Developing
A Shedd Aquarium animal care specialist works with a beluga following the Marineland transfers, as the rescued whales continue to receive close monitoring and individualized care. Credit:© Shedd Aquarium / Heidi Zeiger
Peekachu, a 23-year-old beluga transferred from Marineland to Shedd in August, died on August 25 while her care team was providing medicine and fluids after bloodwork raised concerns about dehydration. Shedd announced her death the following day and said a necropsy could provide more information about her overall health and what may have contributed to her death.
On September 2, Shedd announced the deaths of Rain, a 20-year-old beluga relocated from Marineland, and Beethoven, a 34-year-old longtime Shedd resident.
That distinction matters: three belugas died at Shedd in a short period, but only Peekachu and Rain were part of the Marineland rescue. The aquarium has not announced final causes of death. It said necropsies, blood tests and additional exams were underway.
In a September 4 care update, Shedd said several of the surviving rescued belugas had presented clinical concerns and that none were yet where staff wanted them to be from a health standpoint. The aquarium said the animals require careful monitoring and daily adjustments to their care.
What Readers Should Watch Next
A rescued beluga arrives at Shedd Aquarium on September 1, 2026, as the relocated whales begin a longer period of acclimation and ongoing care.Credit: Brenna Hernandez / Shedd Aquarium
The next concrete updates are expected to include necropsy findings and longer-term health and acclimation reports from the receiving aquariums. Shedd has said it will publish what it learns about the recent deaths, while participating institutions say they will continue sharing observations as the relocated animals settle into their new environments.
The relocation removed Marineland’s remaining whales and dolphins from Canada, but the animals remain in managed care elsewhere. Their condition, treatment and longer-term acclimation will continue to be part of the story in the months ahead.
References and Related Reading
Buffalo Toronto Public Media: Final Six Belugas Leave Marineland
