Relocating captive cetaceans is complicated, and ocean sanctuaries may not always suit them
After Marineland Canada closed, an international effort moved belugas and dolphins to facilities in the United States and Spain, but several animals died. The article argues that netted ocean sanctuaries, while appealing, come with their own difficulties and may not fit animals raised in human care. A cetacean biologist with decades of experience says what is natural for wild whales and dolphins is not necessarily natural for managed ones.
When Marineland Canada shut in September 2024, it housed 30 belugas and four dolphins and lacked regular income for their care. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums coordinated transfers to facilities in the U.S. and Spain. Afterward, four belugas died at the U.S. site—one already there and three relocated—and another died in Spain. By September 2026, the remaining belugas had left Marineland.
No cetacean sanctuary currently operates worldwide under the model described: netted ocean pens, no breeding, limited human contact, and nonprofit support. A biologist with more than two decades of experience notes that animals raised in human care may face unfamiliar water, sounds, currents, weather, pathogens, and parasites in sea pens.
The Marineland transfers and deaths may intensify public scrutiny of how closed parks rehome cetaceans. Aquarium staff, animal-care professionals, sanctuary advocates, and nonprofit funders could face pressure to explain welfare outcomes and plan earlier for closures. For communities and visitors, the story may reshape expectations about marine parks and ocean sanctuaries. Policymakers and regulators may also consider whether existing oversight is adequate, though the evidence here is limited to one relocation effort and cannot settle broader debates.