Five beluga whales (four females and one male), were transported from Marineland, Canada to Mystic Aquarium, USA, over the weekend.
The whales, Jetta, Havana, Kharabali, Havok, and Sahara, ranging in age from 7-12 years old, were transported from Hamilton International Airport on a C-130 cargo plane and transferred onto flatbed trucks for the final stage of their move to Mystic Aquarium. Government officials from Fisheries & Oceans Canada approved the export last month, approximately seven months after US Officials approved the move, despite a long-running campaign to block the export to the USA. Mystic officials have stated that the whales have moved from an overcrowded habitat that holds dozens of other belugas. This highlights why it’s essential to end the breeding of dolphins and whales in captivity, an issue that Marine Connection is working hard to address.
Marineland also had planned to send two beluga whales to L’Oceanografic in Valencia, Spain. After raising concerns with the Spanish Authorities since this was first proposed, we recently received confirmation that this transfer has now been ruled out. Marine Connection is requesting further details from authorities in Spain as to whether this decision is permanent.
