Six beluga whales make successful journey by air from Canada to US

Six beluga whales have completed a remarkable journey by air from Canada to the United States, finding new homes after the closure of a controversial marine park.

Four of the whales arrived safely at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium on Tuesday, while two others were relocated to SeaWorld San Antonio in Texas. These transfers are part of a larger rescue plan developed by Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited facilities for the belugas previously housed at Marineland in Ontario. The park closed last year amid ongoing concerns about animal health and alleged cruelty.

The whales traveled in specialized, temperature-controlled containers, accompanied by veterinarians and animal care specialists throughout their flight and truck journeys. Teams at Shedd Aquarium and SeaWorld San Antonio are now closely monitoring the belugas, providing round-the-clock care to help them acclimatize to their new environments. Additional transfers to Georgia Aquarium, SeaWorld San Diego, and Oceanografic Valencia in Spain are being planned.

Karisa Tang, lead veterinarian at Shedd Aquarium, expressed optimism about the new chapter for the rescued animals. "Now that they are here, the full attention of our care and veterinary teams is on getting to know these whales and providing whatever supplemental support, care, treatment, nutrition and attention we can provide to help them acclimatize to their new environment," she said. The four whales moved to Chicago were a pre-existing sub-pod of females, chosen to stay together due to their strong bonds.

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Now that they are here, the full attention of our care and veterinary teams is on getting to know these whales and providing whatever supplemental support, care, treatment, nutrition and attention we can provide to help them acclimatize to their new environment.