Shedd Aquarium Rescuing 10 Beluga Whales From Shuttered Canadian Park

DOWNTOWN — The Shedd Aquarium is part of an unprecedented international effort to rescue dozens of beluga whales from a shuttered marine park in Canada.

The aquarium is preparing to rescue and rehome up to 10 beluga whales from Marineland of Canada, a shuttered zoo and amusement park in Ontario, according to the Shedd. It’s unknown when the whales will arrive at the aquarium, but rescues are slated to begin in the “next few weeks,” according to the Shedd.

The Shedd is one of several facilities expected to take part in the rescue of 30 stranded beluga whales. Other participating facilities include aquariums in Georgia, San Diego, San Antonio and Spain.

Marineland closed in 2024 after the passage of a 2019 Canadian federal law banning the keeping and use of whales, dolphins and porpoises for breeding or entertainment.

The park has also faced scrutiny from animal rights activists over its treatment of marine life. Twenty whales, one killer whale and 19 belugas have died at Marineland since 2019, according to the CBC, a Canadian news outlet.

After Marineland was initially denied permission to export the whales to China, the park’s owner threatened to euthanize the belugas unless they could be exported to the United States, the CBC reported.

Canada’s Accredited Zoos and Aquariums, Canada’s zoological governing body, asked the Shedd to take part in the rescue. The Chicago aquarium then developed a rescue plan to transport and acclimate the whales.

“Shedd is one of a handful of institutions currently existing that has the available space, expertise and resources to care for belugas. There is an urgent, timely need to find new homes for them, and we are here to help,” Dr. Karis Tang, vice president of animal health at the Shedd, said in a video statement about the rescue.

To be transported, the belugas will swim into a stretcher and be lifted out of their habitats, then placed in a temporary holding sling specifically designed to transport whales. They will then be lifted into a truck, transported to the airport and then flown to their destinations, according to the Shedd.

Veterinarians and caretakers will also be with the whales for the entire trip.

“An international rescue at this scale has never been done before, and it’s incredibly complex. Experts from around the globe have been working tirelessly on everything from supplies to cargo planes to veterinary and care support to make this rescue possible,” Tang said in the video statement.

The belugas will be transported into the Shedd’s 3 million-gallon Abbott Oceanarium, complete with six interconnected habitats that are up to 30 feet deep. After they arrive, the rescued whales will continue to be monitored for positive social behaviors like grooming, foraging and eating well, which are all signs that they are adapting well, according to the Shedd.

The Shedd already has a population of eight belugas whales in its care.