In a troubling turn of events, Marineland, the embattled Canadian amusement park and aquarium, is seeking government approval to sell its captive belugas to institutions in the United States. This move comes after the park’s previous proposal to export the whales to China was rejected, sparking a public outcry over the welfare of these majestic creatures.
The park, which has been plagued by controversy for years, has seen the deaths of 20 animals, including 19 belugas, since 2019, according to a tally by the Canadian Press. Marineland, which is currently closed to visitors and looking to sell off its land, shocked the public last year when it threatened to euthanize the 30 whales in its care, citing a lack of resources to care for them.
Now, the park has presented the Canadian government with new export permit applications, seeking approval to sell the belugas to several institutions in the United States. A fisheries ministry spokesperson, Ira Khedkar, confirmed that Marineland representatives met with the government on Wednesday, and the minister, Joanne Thompson, will review the applications expeditiously.
Phil Demers, a former trainer turned whistleblower at the reportedly bankrupt Marineland, has revealed that the park is desperate to offload the belugas. The Canadian Press has also reported that Marineland has prepared a euthanasia plan and intends to kill the whales if its US export proposal is rejected.
The minister, Joanne Thompson, had previously rejected Marineland’s 2025 request to sell the whales to the Chimelong Ocean Kingdom theme park in China, citing concerns over the continued exploitation of the animals. However, the specifics of the park’s latest proposal remain unclear, and the ministry has not commented on the details.
Animal welfare officials from the province of Ontario have been investigating Marineland for five years, following concerns over the high number of beluga deaths at the park. Marineland has maintained that all the deaths have been due to natural causes, but the ongoing scrutiny has only heightened the public’s unease over the park’s treatment of its captive whales.
As the saga continues, the fate of Marineland’s belugas hangs in the balance, with the Canadian government now tasked with carefully considering the park’s latest proposal and the welfare of these magnificent creatures.
