Marineland Gets Conditional Approval to Export Mammals

Dolphin Project can confirm that on January 26, Canada’s Fisheries Minister, the Honorable Joanne Thompson, granted conditional approval to Marineland Canada to export the country’s remaining captive dolphins and other whales.

Discussions are currently underway to export 30 beluga whales and four bottlenose dolphins to marine parks in the United States, potentially including Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, Georgia; Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, Connecticut; Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Illinois; and a SeaWorld location.

Marineland has been closed since the end of its tourist season in 2024. Allegedly, the facility has been looking for a buyer to purchase its vast property, located in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

Statement from the Honorable Joanne Thompson on the transfer of marine mammals from Marineland Canada, Instagram 1/26/26

In a statement posted to the Minister’s social media, final permits will be issued once the required information is received from Marineland.

In 2019, Bill S-203, the Ending the Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act, became law in Canada, officially banning the keeping, breeding, and trading of dolphins and other whales for entertainment. Marineland was the last facility to keep cetaceans in captivity, and with its closure, the country will finally become free of captive dolphins and other whales.

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Featured image: Captive beluga whales, Marineland Canada. Credit: DolphinProject.org