Fate of Belugas Facing Euthanasia at Closed Canada Theme Park Changes as U.S. Aquariums Offer Help
Belugas and bottlenose dolphins have long brought glory to Canada's Marineland. Animals of the ocean were reduced to creatures of entertainment that attracted thousands of visitors to the theme park for decades. Enclosed within concrete tanks, they brought joy to people while bleeding themselves dry. Much later, the dark reality behind the happy facade came to light. Between 2019 and 2025, 20 whales—19 belugas and one killer whale—had reportedly died. In a 2021 animal welfare inspection, the distressful environment of the animals, including poor water quality within their tanks, was reported. Soon enough, many people who once visited the theme park for recreation were guilt-ridden, and the craze for Marineland eventually fizzled. In 2018, after the theme park owner's death, Canada passed the Ending the Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act.
“By 2024, there were signs that Marineland was closing,” Melissa Matlow, Canadian campaign director at the international NGO World Animal Protection, told Mongabay. “They had already started to sell some of their animals and close some of the exhibits, so it was a reduced ticket price just to see belugas and a few other animals," she added. However, the park remained closed in the latter half of the year and never reopened in 2025. The fate of 30 belugas, four dolphins, three seals, and two sea lions who remained within the park was left in the hands of the park's authorities and the Canadian government. For six months, the authorities had debates and discussions over the best possible solution to the issue. Even the idea of euthanasia was thrown around but was rejected.
Finally, a decision has been made. The officials are now working to relocate the cetaceans, but the mission is still ongoing. Although these cetaceans could have new homes, it would still solve only part of the problem. More theme parks are now refraining from keeping sea mammals in enclosed environments for entertainment purposes, a shift encouraged through awareness and empathy. However, this change brings a bigger issue to the forefront: what to do with the creatures that already live in enclosed tanks? More than 3,700 cetaceans, including whales, dolphins, and porpoises, are living within theme parks and aquariums around the world, and they can't simply be released into the ocean.
“It’s messy, it’s going to lead to some animal suffering, more than they already are,” Naomi Rose, a marine mammal scientist at the U.S.-based Animal Welfare Institute. “When society shifts and decides to do something very different with a marginalized group than they were doing before … It’s always messy," she added. Experts believe that it's still too early to say where the Marineland cetaceans might end up and when. “It is still too early to say exactly where the belugas may go or on what timetable," spokespersons from the Shedd, Georgia, and Mystic aquariums told the outlet. As of now, they are aiming to keep the plan "rooted in science and responds to the physical and social needs of the belugas."
Matlow believes that the situation with Marineland could have been avoided if Ontario had stricter wildlife rules. “The days of keeping animals for entertainment, I think, are coming to an end,” she said. “We just need the government to catch up to public attitudes," Matlow added.
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