Beluga whales in Canada, South Korea, Taiwan and beyond need sanctuaries as urgently as orcas.
Fourth in a series of posts about our work in the first quarter of 2024.
For 10 years, at a shopping center at the foot of the world’s sixth-tallest skyscraper in the heart of Seoul, a beluga whale named Bella has been living in a small pool where thousands of people walk by each day.
But recent laws in South Korea prohibit the importing of whales and dolphins and the building of new aquariums for the display of whales and dolphins. And as public opinion favors bringing an end to keeping cetaceans in captivity, the owners of the mall have indicated their interest in retiring Bella to a sanctuary. The Whale Sanctuary Project is in discussion with them about the possibility of Bella coming to the sanctuary in Nova Scotia.
Bella is just one of hundreds of beluga whales in aquariums and entertainment facilities around the world. Another theme park that may be coming close to bringing an end to keeping whales and dolphins on display is Marineland Canada (no relation to Marineland Antibes). The company recently announced that its extended property is preparing for “redevelopment under new ownership.”
No word yet on who the new owners might be and what plans they or the current management may have for the 34 beluga whales and five dolphins, along with scores of other animals, at Marineland. But in a radio interview in 2023, the mayor of Niagara, where Marineland is located, said that if the facility were to close, his priority would be the welfare of the animals. “It’s run its course and it’s time to change direction,” Mayor Diodati told CBC Hamilton. “I’d like to see them move right away from animals.”
Marineland Canada has announced that its extended property is preparing for “redevelopment under new ownership.”Four years ago, shortly after the Whale Sanctuary Project announced its plan to establish a coastal whale sanctuary in Nova Scotia, we began discussions with Marineland Canada about the possibility of retiring some of the whales there. Later in the year, however, when the Niagara police charged Marineland with cruelty to animals, the company broke off discussions.
In 2019, Canada passed Senate Bill S-203, the Ending the Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act, which bans the further breeding or importation of cetaceans for the purposes of entertainment. In 2021, Marineland transferred five beluga whales to Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut three of whom have since died of what were likely long-term health and welfare issues.
In early 2024, observers at Marineland said they could count 34 belugas. What will happen to them and to the many other animals when Marineland Canada comes under new ownership will be a major priority for animal protection organizations in Canada.
“We remain hopeful and open to conversations with Marineland Canada or whoever the new owners are,” says Charles Vinick, executive director of the Whale Sanctuary Project. “We will be looking to work in a collaborative fashion for as many of those beluga whales as we can.” With 100 acres of sanctuary space, the waters can be partitioned to accommodate both orcas and belugas, and we can be as responsive as possible to whales in need.
There are, of course, many more whales and dolphins in crisis at theme parks around the world than there are sanctuaries to house them. That is why, as a key component of our mission, the Whale Sanctuary Project is working to build strong relationships with other NGOs that want to establish sanctuaries for cetaceans.