This morning, January 29th, the Whale Sanctuary Project held a news conference in Nova Scotia and issued the following media release:
UPDATE: Whale Sanctuary Project Community Information Meeting Details:
- Dartmouth – Thursday, Jan 31st, 7.00 pm. Alderney Landing (The Rotunda), 2 Ochterloney Street;
- Liverpool – Friday, Feb 1st, 6.30 pm. Astor Theatre, (Gorham Room) 219 Main Street;
- Port Hawkesbury – Monday, Feb 4th, 6.30 pm. Civic Centre, 606 Reeves Street;
- Sherbrooke – Wednesday, Feb 6th, 6.30 pm. Fire Hall, 91 Old Road Hill;
- Sheet Harbour – Thursday, Feb 7th, 6.30 pm. Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 58, 23566 Nova Scotia Highway Trunk 7.
- Shelburne Area – Saturday Feb 9th, 1 pm. Parish of Christ Church Hall, 128 Hammond Street, Shelburne.
Non-Profit Group Seeks Community Partner for Whale Sanctuary in Nova Scotia
HALIFAX, NS, January 29th, 2019
The Whale Sanctuary Project is holding a series of public information meetings over the next 10 days to identify communities in Nova Scotia that may be interested in becoming home to a seaside sanctuary for beluga whales being retired from entertainment parks.
The meetings will be held in Dartmouth, Liverpool, Port Hawkesbury, Sherbrooke and Sheet Harbour.
“We see this as an opportunity for the host community as well as for the whales who will live in the sanctuary for the rest of their lives,” said Charles Vinick, Executive Director of the non-profit organization. “There would be economic benefits including the creation of an education centre, an on-going need to purchase tons of frozen fish to feed the whales, as well as full and part-time jobs to be filled by local residents. Beyond these benefits, a community can take pride in the good they are doing for these whales.”
Public opinion continues to shift away from keeping highly intelligent and far-ranging marine mammals in tanks.
“Whales and dolphins have a highly complex sense of self,” said Lori Marino, President of the Whale Sanctuary Project, who is also a neuroscientist. “They suffer greatly spending their lives in concrete tanks, and the only way to end their suffering is to relocate them to a permanent seaside sanctuary, where they can receive expert care in a natural environment.”
Right now, Parliament is poised to enact a ban on keeping any more whales and dolphins at entertainment facilities, and a seaside sanctuary will provide the space and autonomy the whales need in order to thrive.
Photo by Kevin&Melani.
The organization is looking for a 40-hectare area (just under half a square km) along the Atlantic shore of Nova Scotia that can become a home to whales who are retired from entertainment facilities or who are injured and need rehabilitation within a netted-off area. Sanctuaries already exist for land-based animals like elephants and chimpanzees who come from zoos and circuses. But there are none yet for whales and dolphins.
“Most of them have never learned survival skills, so they cannot be released into the open ocean,” Vinick explained. “But a seaside sanctuary will give them a chance to thrive in a stimulating natural ecosystem.”
At the upcoming meetings, Marino and Vinick will discuss what a sanctuary will look like and how it can play a positive role in the local community.
“We realize that people have questions and concerns about such a novel project,” Vinick said. “Some will be interested in potential environmental impacts. And local fishers will want to be assured that their livelihoods are preserved. We share these concerns and we want to work with everyone to figure out whether a sanctuary is a good fit for your community.”
If you think your coastal community could be well suited to a sanctuary, the Whale Sanctuary Project would be pleased to hear from you. You can contact them by email at charlesv@whalesanctuary.org.
To learn more about the project and meet Lori and Charles, the public is invited to attend the community information meetings.
For more information visit: https://whalesanctuary.org/our-work/.
Media contact: Mary Ellen MacIntyre: 902-989-3522
48 Comments
Sheet Harbour in HRM! It would be such a great location!
How about Weymouth and the Sissiboo River, South of Digby?
Hello, is the meeting in Sheet Harbour still happening this evening? I am extremely interested in going but I know there are several weather warnings for the same time.
Yes, it’s still on for this evening at 6.30. Hope you can make it!
I assure you that on the south shore, the group that will take the greatest issue with this project and be the most vocal about it will be the lobster fishermen. They believe that the waters and everything in it off of N.S. belongs to them and maintain that everyone is constantly out to get them and put an end to their industry. Meanwhile, they pull in millions of dollar for a few months of work and put nothing back into the community, the schools, the hospitals, etc. preferring to buy a new, raised truck every year and vacation in Florida. A whale sanctuary is an innovative and wonderful pursuit, that would actually be a rare, progressive move for N.S. But I fear the selfish lobster fishermen will do everything to resist progress.
Now ain’t that the truth! I’m still embarrassed to see the huge stop sign styled signs, with bold white NO MPAs along the Highway 7. Makes us look like uneducated buffoons. Try explaining to tourists why we don’t want a ‘marine protected area’ on the Eastern Shore.
Stop eating lobster infact all marine animals. The oceans are being decimated at an alarming rate and once they are empty…
This is a good idea in theory …. but:
1) The animals are going to still be part of an “educational display”.
2) Keeping cetaceans in captivity is illegal in Canada now. So this rehab centre would presumably have a lifespan of about 20 years, tops, as of today. What is the economic model for it?
3) As they are transitioning from one “educational centre” to this one, why not keep them where they are now (i.e. marineland or the Vancouver Aquarium or where ever).
4) Different whale species need different ranges / environmental considerations. I cannot see where a single “bay” would cover most of them.
By the time it is funded, environmental assessments are done, the complex built …. most of the captive animals now will be gone. And the netting to seal the bay would probably kill other species. But maybe there is something I am missing.
As a side note – I understand the good intentions of banning them in captivity in Canada – but I think it is very misguided. Educational / research opportunities aside, most of these animals are rescues who would not survive in the wild. Now, they will be treated (if they can) and left to die in wild, rather than housed and taken care of at places like the Vancouver Aquarium. It’s poor policy all around.
Thank you for the comments and questions. A few responses, and first, just to be clear, the sanctuary we’re talking about would be for 5 to 8 beluga whales retired from entertainment facilities.
Will the whales at a sanctuary still be part of an “educational display”?
They will be leading a natural life, rather than performing tricks in a tank, and will no more be on display than are any free-ranging whales or dolphins you would see from land. People will be able to see them from the shore and at a distance. The education part will be through an interpretive center, and via video feeds to schools, etc.
This rehab centre would presumably have a lifespan of about 20 years, tops, as of today. What is the economic model?
The sanctuary will be financed through philanthropic donations for its capital construction and operations. Given the lifespan of belugas, there will be a need for sanctuary for considerably more than 20 years.
Why not keep them where they are – i.e. at the Vancouver Aquarium or Marineland?
The whole point of moving them is that the conditions where they are living are intolerable. Just for starters, there are approximately 58 beluga whales in small concrete tanks at Marineland at any given time, with some dying and others being born during any given week. (There are no belugas or orcas at the Vancouver Aquarium.)
Different whale species need different ranges / environmental considerations. I cannot see where a single “bay” would cover most of them.
We are not necessarily going to have different species in the same facility. The first thing we consider for any potential location is whether the environment would be suitable for belugas and/or orcas.
By the time … the sanctuary is built, most of the belugas will be gone.
If you mean they will have died, bear in mind that the average lifespan for a beluga in a tank at an entertainment park is considered to be between 18 and 30 years. And beluga babies are still being born at Marineland. In the wild, beluga lifespans are thought to be much longer. A 2006 study concluded that they can live up to 70 years or more. So, you might reasonably assume that a young beluga at a seaside sanctuary would have a lifespan somewhere between those two figures.
The netting to seal the bay would probably kill other species.
Possibly in some instances, but unlikely overall; there will be plenty of space in the netting for species other than a beluga whale to come and go.
Most of these animals are rescues who would not survive in the wild.
The belugas at Marineland (there are none at the Vancouver Aquarium) are not rescues; they were all either captured and imported, or born into their concrete tanks.
Now, they will be treated (if they can) and left to die in wild, rather than housed and taken care of at places like the Vancouver Aquarium.
Bill S-203 provides an exception for “a person who … has the custody of or controls a cetacean that is kept in captivity for the purpose of providing it with assistance or care or to rehabilitate it following an injury or another state of distress.” And the sanctuary would be available to belugas in need of rescue and rehabilitation.
Incidentally, last year the Vancouver Aquarium voluntarily ended its program of keeping whales and dolphins on display. Meanwhile, we support the aquarium’s research and have stated publicly that it has a strong scientific base to stand on and continue its important work.
An interesting project. There will not likely be very many “good” choices for location. Considering the the size of area needed that should have natural boundries. Mostly ice free and not exposed to the frequent heavy seas that will destroy containment infrastructure. Now find that peice of shoreline the fish harvesters will share or give up while not being concerned about pollution.
I support the projects intentions and will be watching to see what area will be selected to advance it’s plans.
Lots to be considered here. A positive for Sherbrooke would be how this might benefit both the whales and the community considering it already has a tourist infrastructure and the possibility of seeing whales(from shore) would be a big bonus….Sounds like a huge undertaking but such a positive one. I am not sure I understand at this point..would they be corralled in a harbor?
More likely a netted-off cove or bay. But you’ll get a better sense of the options at the meeting in Sherbrooke on Wednesday Feb 6th.
The Animal Interfaith Alliance in Britain sends our compliments to Michael and all involved in the Project and to the communities who wish to host the belugas.
After their miserable existence obliged to serve human purposes, to welcome them to an environment as similar as possible to complete freedom in the seas is the least we can do for these wonderful sentient creatures.
We look forward to hearing the good news that a safe home has been chosen, and thank you all for your compassion.
Mitakuye Oyasin – we are all connected.
Would the whales like the protected waters of the Bras d’Or Lakes? 1/2 as brackish as the ocean.
Aros na Mara a proposed marine science center at Port of Iona could be a good fit.
https://arosnamara.ca/
Environmentally, Bras D’or Lakes are challenging as a sanctuary site because of the brackish content of the water and the lack of flow in most areas. But we will be discussing further with our field team and advisors. Thanks for suggesting.
Dr. Bruce Hatcher, Director of the Bras d’Or Institute at Cape Breton University says “The location of the Aros na Mara is logistically ideal because of proximity to an energetic tidal channel (the Barra Strait) that delivers cold, well mixed and oxygenated and plankton-rich water to the surface layer where the water intake for the aquarium is located. This infinite supply of high-quality water to within 30m of the facility permits a flow-through water supply to the aquarium that requires no filtration, thermal or chemical regulation, re-circulation or waste treatment.”
u guys seem to leave all the negative comments out ur just putting the good ones on here
Why does your mind automatically go to the negative? For once can’t people just open there mind to a possible solution to many of the problems we face in SW NS before we turn to the negative? Tell you what. make a list of the positive and the negative-do research-then we can discuss possible solutions to the negative and how we can overcome them together. Mary
I found people automatically go to negative. I think if people could start thinking Positive things could happen here in Port Hawkesbury. But people are just so negative all the time. no matter what the issue.
I VOTE for Port Hawkesbury
This would be awesome here in Liverpool Bay. We already had a happy Beluga visit us. Please bring them here. Sandy & Charles
Eastern shore
HRM
🙏🙏😇😇
The Chedabucto Bay Area, would be an ideal sanctuary. Wilma the whale made it her home for many years.
Wilma the beluga whale loved Chedabucto Bay. It would be quite suitable and a nice representation of Wilma!
Wilma loved Chedabucto Bay! It would be a suitable and a great representation for Wilma the Beluga whale. Very nice and clean area.
A fantastic idea and I would vote for Liverpool Bay. Luca did!
You have my support 100% – a bold undertaking but a great one.
Sheet Harbour or Sherbrook would be a great place! It would bring so much back to Shearbrook and Liscomb, there is so much beautiful land around there. The waters are so clean there and you can get the local fisherman to get the fish for the whales.
Definitely Sheet Harbour / Sherbrooke – or anywhere in the Bay of Islands area (between the two villages). So sorry I was unable to make these meetings :-( Hope there was a good ‘positive’ turn out!
Sheet harbour!!!
I vote for Liverpool Bay. It would be good for Liverpool, it would be good for the whales, win-win.
Hi. Liverpool Bay is the place for those whales! We will look after them and they can look after us. A beautiful place for beautiful creatures. We will do all we can to have this project in our area. See you at the meeting. Mary
Come on Sheet Harbour!
Luca loved Liverpool harbour and he choose us !! We have the perfect spot for all of them !!! Please consider us !!
This is an absolutely amazing idea! I truly hope you find a home for these beautiful, majestic souls that provide them with everything they need to live wild and free. My only concern is that any place chosen be entirely for the benefit of the whales and not for the benefit of the community.
Awesome and for captive belugas they will love being in the ocean
I believe Shelburne would be a GREAT place for the whales
Absolutely great idea, ant sanctuary is better than where they are now 👍
Liverpool Bay and surrounding area would be the perfect location for this sanctuary. Our extraordinary experience with Luca, a young beluga whale, who chose our community as a safe haven when he became lost and separated from his pod, proved what a perfect spot this is for critters of his kind. The affection and care shown him from everyone in this community and those who traveled here just to get a glimpse of him, during the months he was with us, was amazing in so many ways. It would be an honour and a privilege to give a new home to whales that have spent the bulk of their lives in captivity. Little Luca chose us, so we must have a lot going for us in whale terms! He seemed to especially like hanging out near Mersey Seafood Fish Plant! Here’s hoping you choose Liverpool Bay for this wonderful project.
I would volunteer for you in Liverpool! Fingers crossed. Thank you for considering our beautiful seaside home.
Minas Basin would be a great spot.
i think this would be great for liverpool and i hope that they vote yes to bringing this there and helping these mammals.
Pleasant Harbour would be the perfect spot for a sanctuary 💖
Whales in pay-2-see, commercial aquariums were never meant to be.
Hopefully, Nova Scotia can offer them a natural gateway for retirement! Bravo!
Here’s a site for consideration. The Annapolis River empties into the Digby Basin. At that point (Annapolis Royal Tidal Power Station) the River & Basin are separated by a causeway & reversible dam. On the river side there is a very, very large salt water estuary that is open to several kilometres of river which salt water content gradually decreases upriver and which depth is controlled by the Tidal Power Station. This is a location in which Belugas could be comfortable & safe.
interesting idea, and it has been whale tested!! LOL (the juvenile humpback)
This is wonderful new!!! Prayers that this all works out in one of these cities. We are their only voice!
Yes ! Moving forward!
This is fantastic news!!!! A solution to a problem. I love it!! Thank you all. I pray this project will be blessed by God and his many angels and move forward with his power, will, and love. Amen.