What’s Next After Canada’s Last Aquarium Closes?

Bill S-203, the Ending the Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act, was passed by the House of Commons on June 10, 2019. It received Royal Assent on June 21, 2019, officially becoming law to ban the capture, possession, breeding, import, export, and display of cetaceans – including whales, dolphins, and porpoises – in Canada.

At the time of passage, only two facilities in Canada housed live cetaceans: the Vancouver Aquarium in British Columbia and Marineland Canada in Niagara Falls, Ontario, which were grandfathered in under the law. However, the animals, while allowed to remain in captivity, are not able to be replaced, or bred.

At present, with the Vancouver Aquarium’s captive cetacean program permanently discontinued, Marineland Canada remains the only facility in the country where cetaceans are still physically present.

Kiska had been held in solitary confinement since 2011 and died on March 29, 2023, Marineland Canada. Credit: DolphinProject.org

On January 26, Canada’s Fisheries Minister, the Honorable Joanne Thompson, granted conditional approval to Marineland to export the country’s remaining captive dolphins and other whales. This would impact 30 beluga whales and four bottlenose dolphins currently at the facility. Marineland has been closed since the end of its tourist season in 2024, and allegedly has been looking for a buyer to purchase its vast property.

At the time of this writing, the belugas and bottlenose dolphins have not yet been moved. We will continue to monitor and report on this story as new information becomes available.

Dolphin Project welcomes the time when Canada will finally become free of captive cetaceans.

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