Rescued beluga whales arrive in Texas as Marineland moves continue
Seven female belugas have reached SeaWorld San Antonio, bringing the Texas total to nine in the continuing Marineland relocation.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
2 min read
Rescued beluga whales in Texas now number nine after SeaWorld San Antonio received seven females from the closed Marineland park in Niagara Falls, Ontario, CBS News reported. The latest group was the second transfer from the Canadian facility and, according to CBS, the largest beluga transfer completed in the United States.
The newcomers are Xena, Gemini, Skyla, Meeka, Eve, Neva and Calypso. They join Frankie and Bertie Botts, two male belugas sent to San Antonio in the first relocation movement.
Which rescued beluga whales have arrived in Texas?
SeaWorld has received Frankie and Bertie Botts, followed by the seven newly arrived females. CBS reported that the first movement also brought four other Marineland belugas to Chicago's Shedd Aquarium.
The seven latest arrivals are being kept in a private habitat that is not open to public viewing while staff watch their health and behavior, SeaWorld San Antonio vice president of zoological operations Steve Aible told CBS. He said the whales are receiving veterinary care and nutrition as they get used to their new surroundings.
The transport involved water-filled specialized containers, flatbed trucks and a cargo plane, CBS reported. Aible was among the caretakers accompanying the animals, which the report said weigh more than 1,200 pounds.
Why are Marineland's belugas being moved?
Marineland closed to the public in 2024 but remained responsible for its animals. The park said it did not have the resources to keep caring for them and, about a year after the closure, said it could face euthanizing them without either further funding or a relocation plan, according to CBS.
CBS reported that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration approved the relocations in July. NOAA said the approvals were intended to secure medical treatment and care unavailable to the whales in Canada, and that no Canadian facilities could provide the needed husbandry or medical care.
What happens to the belugas still at Marineland?
Seventeen whales remained at Marineland after the latest Texas arrival, CBS reported. They are expected to go to facilities in Georgia, Chicago, San Diego and Spain, although officials have not announced when those transfers will happen.
The completed moves reported so far account for 13 whales: nine at SeaWorld San Antonio and four at Shedd Aquarium. That tally is based on CBS's reports and separates the confirmed movements from the destinations still planned for the 17 remaining animals.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS News.