34 Beluga Whales Flew and Trucked Out of Canada After Park Shuts Down

34 Beluga Whales Flew and Trucked Out of Canada After Park Shuts Down

A massive rescue operation is moving 34 beluga whales from a closed Canadian marine park to new facilities in the United States, with the first six already arriving in Illinois and Texas by plane and truck.

· 1 min read ·
middle eastdisastersnature

Marine experts launched one of the largest beluga relocations ever after the Canadian park shut down, leaving the animals without a permanent caretaker [202025]. The first whales were moved from Marineland in Niagara Falls, Ontario, to Toronto’s airport on July 20, 2026, in a carefully coordinated overnight operation [201272].

Workers lifted the whales from their pools and placed them into custom-designed transport containers [201272]. A flatbed truck with a large blue box and a crane carried the containers to the airport [201272]. The whales then traveled by plane and lorry to aquariums in Illinois and Texas that agreed to take them in [202775].

Staff monitored the animals closely during the flights and road trips to ensure their safety [202775]. The belugas are now settling into their new tanks, and experts say the whales are adapting well to their new environments [202775]. Officials have not yet announced the final destination for the remaining 28 whales, and no further details about the former park’s closure have been released [202775][201272].

Sources

Beluga Whale Rescue: 34 Whales to Be Moved from Shuttered Canadian Park #202025Belugas moved from Marineland to Toronto airport in secret overnight operation #201272Beluga whales moved by plane, truck after Canadian park closure #202775

Related

Nuns, Traffic, and BBQ Force Sweden’s Silent Order to Flee Their Convent

A group of nuns living under one of the strictest vows of silence in Sweden is being forced to relocate after their convent in Glumslöv became surrounded by traffic noise and the smell of barbecues from a nearby housing development. The disruption has become too great for the cloistered order, which values stillness and prayer, and architect Carl Kylberg has taken on what he calls the strangest assignment of his career: moving the nuns—both the living and the dead [167871].

Helicopter Evacuation Launched After US Pilot Killed in Indonesia

A US pilot was killed in a remote area of Indonesia, prompting a three-helicopter evacuation mission to recover the body.

Deportees Vanish: Half of US Migrants Sent to Congo Have Already Fled

More than half of the 15 South American migrants deported by the United States to the Democratic Republic of Congo in April have already left the country, Kinshasa announced Friday, raising questions about the unusual transfer arrangement.

Lebanese Army Takes Over "Pilot Zone" After Israeli Pullout — 2 Towns Reclaimed

Lebanese troops have moved into a vacated "pilot zone" in southern Lebanon after Israeli forces withdrew, marking a key step in implementing a US-brokered ceasefire deal.

Trump Threatens New Tariffs on Canada as 838 Wildfires Choke 100 Million Americans

Toxic smoke from hundreds of Canadian wildfires has drifted into the United States, triggering air quality alerts for over 100 million people across more than a dozen states, as former President Donald Trump blames Canada’s forest management and threatens to impose new tariffs on Canadian goods.

11,000 Crews Trapped in Strait of Hormuz as Iran and US Give Conflicting Evacuation Orders

Shots have been exchanged in the Strait of Hormuz, leaving 11,000 crew members trapped on ships caught between conflicting safety instructions from Iran and the United States.