The Canadian marine park Marineland (Niagara Falls, Ontario) closed as early as 2024, and since then, a total of 30 beluga whales have been stuck in a sort of limbo. The plan had been to euthanise them all, but CBC reports that this bizarre situation finally prompted the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to approve a rescue plan.
Thanks to this, the whales will now survive. Two will be sent to Oceanogràfic València in Spain, while the rest will be distributed among five aquariums across the U.S., including the massive Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, as well as SeaWorld parks.
Marineland was accused of neglecting the whales, and 20 of them died at the park between 2019 and 2024. Now they will undergo veterinary examinations and hopefully have a better life.