Split-up and Shipped Off: A Brutal Outcome For Belugas When a Sanctuary is The Real Solution

Sagan Cowne
Oct 31
5 min read

As "cool" as this may seem, at the end of the day, it's just a big cage...

For many years, Free The Wild has worked to ensure that cetaceans, with their deep intelligence, social bonds and emotional complexity, are no longer condemned to lives of confinement purely for human spectacle. The current proposal emerging from Marineland, Canada (Niagara Falls, Ontario) threatens to betray those values. Reports now suggest a “hybrid” relocation approach is being explored: part of the remaining beluga pod would be sent to a sanctuary in Nova Scotia, while another portion would be exported to an aquarium in China.

We strongly condemn this plan. Splitting a family-unit of belugas, animals renowned for their intricate social relationships, is profoundly unethical. Even leaving aside the captive destination overseas, the mere act of dividing the pod risks severe psychological harm and long-term trauma.

Instead of squabbling over destinations, our focus must be on what is in the best interests of these whales’ welfare, freedom and dignity… no matter the cost.

What We Know So Far

At present, according to the nonprofit The Whale Sanctuary Project, there are around 30 beluga whales still held at Marineland of Canada.

The park itself has requested export permits from the Canadian federal government to send its remaining belugas to the Chimelong Group’s “Ocean Kingdom” in China, a commercial aquarium/entertainment facility.

The Government of Canada denied that request on 1 October 2025, citing that the export would perpetuate the life of these whales in captivity for entertainment, thus conflicting with the spirit of the Ending the Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act.

Simultaneously, there is discussion of a sanctuary off Nova Scotia, which would keep the animals in their native waters, in a sea-pen environment more akin to their natural habitat.

Though the sanctuary plan is not yet fully realised, there remain delays, issues with consent, funding and logistics.

Why The China-split Proposal is Unacceptable

1. Splitting the pod could lead to psychological trauma.

Belugas are socially complex. They live in tight networks, communicate, form long‐term bonds, and have strong familial relationships. Forcing part of the pod into one location and the remainder into another breaks those ties. The trauma of separation is likely severe. Free The Wild does not condone any of the whales going to China under these conditions, especially when the family unit is knowingly divided for operational ‘convenience’ or financial gain.

2. Destination matters: China means a life in indefinite captivity.

Sending these whales to a commercial aquarium in China (or anywhere that treats them as exhibition animals) condemns them to a lifetime of confinement, often performing or existing in unnatural conditions. Such a move offers no real improvement in welfare, no credible path to eventual release and undermines global efforts to end cetacean captivity. Given these facts, it is simply not an ethical outcome.

3. Resources mis-allocated.

The cost of international transport, regulatory hurdles, permit fees, veterinary oversight and long‐term lifetime care for whales in captivity is substantial. Free The Wild asserts that the funds required to send half the pod to China could be far better spent establishing the Nova Scotia sea-pen sanctuary. That way, the entire pod remains together, in native waters, with a chance (however slim) for eventual release or at least significantly improved welfare. Diverting money to a foreign aquarium undermines the moral imperative to invest in a solution aligned with the animals’ welfare and dignity.

The waters surrounding Nova Scotia are within the natural roaming range of Beluga whales.

Why we support the Nova Scotia sea-pen option (despite risks)

We recognise that relocating captive belugas to a sea-pen environment is not without challenges. There are genuine concerns: pathogens, adaptation to a semi‐wild environment, health monitoring, water quality, weather and anchoring/containment infrastructure, potential public access issues, etc. The report from The Whale Sanctuary Project shows that the Nova Scotia site is still working through environmental surveys, consent issues and engineering solutions.

However, the potential benefits vastly outweigh the risks.

The whales would remain in native waters around Nova Scotia, preserving a connection to their natural habitat and sea‐life context.

The entire pod could be transferred together, maintaining social bonds and minimising traumatic separation.

A sea‐pen infrastructure (net systems, moorings, managed water exchange) is technologically feasible and relatively cost-efficient compared to full aquarium captivity or long-haul international export.

This pathway offers a hope, however modest, of future release or at least a more dignified “retirement” than a lifetime of concrete tanks, jet airplanes and overseas aquariums.

Free The Wild believes the risks can be mitigated with appropriate veterinary oversight, phased introduction, health screening and transparent monitoring. The fact that the sanctuary project in Nova Scotia is making progress shows this model is increasingly viable.

Our Recommendation

Immediately halt any plan to export any portion of the beluga pod to a facility in China or any foreign aquarium whose business model is entertainment-based captivity.

Devote full funding, coordination and regulatory support toward transferring the entire remaining pod from Marineland of Canada into a single sea‐pen sanctuary in Nova Scotia (or another suitable coastal site) designed specifically for belugas.

Ensure the sea-pen is built with top standards of welfare: ample space, natural sea water, minimal human interference, social grouping maintained, veterinary and behavioural monitoring, and with a clear management plan for long‐term care and potential release.

The relocation must prioritise the whales’ welfare ahead of cost-cutting or facility convenience. Splitting the pod in half for financial expediency is not acceptable.

Free The Wild stands ready to assist, monitor and support this process, but only on the condition that no captive-entertainment facility is involved. We demand full transparency: veterinary reports, health screenings, transfer logistics, timelines and long-term welfare metrics.

A Solemn Conclusion With Light At The End of The Tunnel

The situation at Marineland of Canada is urgent. These belugas have endured captivity, high mortality (18 whales died in the last five years alone at Marineland’s facility). They deserve better than being divided, shipped overseas and locked into another facility where their lives remain entirely under human control. The compelling alternative is the sea‐pen sanctuary in Nova Scotia, a path toward dignity, freedom (as much as possible under the circumstances) and reunion of the pod.

Free The Wild will not stand by while part of these whales are condemned to a lifetime of captivity in a commercial aquarium abroad. We call on Marineland’s owners, the Canadian federal and provincial authorities, and the broader marine welfare community to commit fully to the sea-pen pathway. We remain on standby, ready to assist with funding, oversight, logistics, communications and advocacy… but only if the option rejects captivity of any kind. The whales’ future cannot rest on expedience or profit. It must rest on compassion, science and the profound recognition of their worth.

We, the charity Free The Wild, reaffirm our readiness and commitment to be a partner in any ethical relocation effort of the remaining belugas at Marineland of Canada, provided that the path chosen preserves the pod, intact, rejects any export to captivity for display and offers genuine potential for a life that honours their nature.

We urge decision-makers to act now, decisively and in the absolute best interests of the whales.

Thank you for taking the time to read all of this. We can only hope that those in power do the right thing… and we are here to support them when they do.

🧡

FTW