SerpApi.Org
It’s a job whale done.
Animal rescuers on Monday kicked off the monumental mission to transfer nearly three dozen belugas stuck inside a shuttered Canadian theme park to new homes in the US.
Pictures from Marineland in Niagara Falls, Ontario on Monday show the long-awaited rescue efforts appearing to go swimmingly.
Some of the majestic sea canaries — which can reach weights of up to 3,500 pounds — were seen being hoisted out of their habitat in massive slings attached to a heavy-duty crane.
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One beluga whale, Sierra, looked nonplussed about the whole affair as she was then hauled away by truck.
Sierra is expected to be joined by Acadia, Osiris and Lilooet at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, CBC reported, while belugas Bertie Botts and Frankie are destined to be flown out to SeaWorld in San Antonio, Texas.
Canadian officials confirmed that Monday was the beginning of relocation efforts for all thirty of the whales.
“The first wave of the rescue mission at Marineland is underway,” Canadian Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson said.
The whale’s home at Marineland had shuttered after the death of the zoo’s owners John Holer and Marie Holer in 2024, according to CBC.
Though staff continued to care for the sea creatures, the outlet reported the whales’ fate was in the balance for some time, with the belugas living under the threat of euthanasia if a suitable home wasn’t found.
But authorities in Canada came to agreements with the US and Spain over moving the whales earlier last month, saving the creatures’ lives and giving them a new home.
