Beluga pair lands in Texas after 1,500-mile Marineland move
Bertie Bott and Frankie are the first Marineland belugas to reach SeaWorld San Antonio as a wider relocation effort begins.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
3 min read
Two beluga whales from Canada’s closed Marineland park are now swimming in a 2-million-gallon saltwater pool at SeaWorld San Antonio after a 1,500-mile trip that involved trucks, a cargo plane and a team of animal-care specialists.
The whales, Bertie Bott and Frankie, arrived Tuesday from Niagara Falls, Ontario, CBS News reported. Their move was part of a larger transfer that also sent four belugas to the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.
Six whales have now been moved in the first stage of a plan expected to relocate 28 belugas from Marineland to aquariums in the United States and elsewhere. According to CBS News, the effort followed nearly two years of coordination across borders.
Steve Aible, SeaWorld San Antonio’s vice president of zoological operations, told CBS News he was thrilled by the whales’ arrival while standing near the pool where the roughly 1,200-pound animals are being held for now.
“I can't help but get just a big giant smile speaking about them,” Aible said.
Aible was one of 10 caretakers who traveled with the whales from Marineland. The route included flat-bed truck transport and a flight aboard a cargo aircraft.
“Who would ever think that you've got a chance to fly with a whale?” Aible told CBS News, recalling the airborne leg of the trip.
Veterinarians trained in marine mammal medicine and animal-care staff also accompanied the whales, monitoring their condition throughout the journey, according to the report.
Why the whales are being moved
Marineland shut its doors to the public in 2024 but continued to hold animals at the site. The park has said it no longer has the resources needed to keep caring for the whales, CBS News reported.
About a year after closing, Marineland said it would be forced to euthanize the whales if it could not secure a relocation plan or additional funding, according to CBS News.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration approved the transfers in July. The agency said the permits were needed so the whales could receive medical treatment and care that was otherwise unavailable, adding that “there are no other facilities in Canada that are able to provide the whales husbandry or medical care.”
At SeaWorld San Antonio, caretakers say Bertie Bott and Frankie are already doing well. Aible told CBS News the pair has shown engaged behavior and kept up a steady appetite.
He said the Texas facility can offer the whales a more active setting because it remains open and operating.
“They're going to just have a much more dynamic and exciting environment here,” Aible said. “Not because Marineland was doing anything wrong or bad, but just strictly because Marineland had stopped functioning as a working theme park and we are not.”
The two whales will continue to undergo regular medical checks before they are introduced to the eight belugas already living at the San Antonio park.
SeaWorld San Antonio says another 11 Marineland belugas are expected to be transferred there. The rest are slated to go to aquariums in Georgia, Chicago, San Diego and Spain, according to the park.
Aible told CBS News the park is eager for visitors to see the newcomers once the animals are ready.
“Tens of thousands of people … are going to be able to enjoy these animals,” he said. “And we can't wait to share them with all the folks who come through our gates.”
This story draws on original reporting from CBS News.