American aquariums recently paid a visit to Marineland in a bid to offer a lifeline to 30 beluga whales facing potential euthanasia if not relocated. The marine park in Niagara Falls, Ontario, has put forth a proposal to the federal government to transport the belugas and four dolphins to the United States.
Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson is expected to make a decision on the export permit application in the near future.
Insiders at Marineland, speaking on condition of anonymity, disclosed that financial constraints have strained the park’s ability to care for its animals, leaving euthanasia as a looming possibility for the marine mammals.
Marineland is currently engaged in talks with several prominent aquariums including Shedd Aquarium, Georgia Aquarium, Mystic Aquarium, and SeaWorld. While these aquariums acknowledge the dire situation, they have not committed definitively to accepting Marineland’s belugas, the last remaining whales in captivity in Canada.