By Liam Casey

The Canadian Press

Posted July 21, 2026 1:03 pm

1 min read

Descrease article font size

Increase article font size

Six captive belugas from Canada are now swimming in the waters of their new homes in the United States.

Marineland and a consortium of U.S. aquariums helped move the first batch of whales in a long, complex process that began Monday afternoon at the closed Niagara Falls, Ont., tourist attraction.

Marineland’s external legal counsel, Andrew Burns, says the move went better than expected, with no major hiccups lifting the whales out of their pools and placing them in tanks on transport trucks, and no issues in a two-hour convoy ride to the airport.

Get breaking National news

Get breaking Canada news delivered to your inbox as it happens so you won't miss a trending story.

A spokesman for the U.S. consortium, Johnny Ford of the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, says four whales arrived there in the early hours of Tuesday morning and are doing well.

More on Canada
More videos

He says two other belugas went on to SeaWorld in San Antonio and ended up in those pools later Tuesday morning.

Story continues below advertisement

Marineland has said it is running out of money and can no longer care for the whales and is in the process of an unprecedented move to get 24 more belugas and four dolphins out of the park.

© 2026 The Canadian Press