We’ve got some whale-sized news for you, Atlanta. After months of uncertainty, two beluga whales are going to call the Georgia Aquarium home, in a massive-scale emergency rescue from Canada. Keep scrolling to learn more.
Wait… what’s going on?
You might’ve seen it on the news in recent weeks: but there’s a beluga crisis in North America… and the Georgia Aquarium is stepping in to help.
Here’s the brief:
In 2024, Marineland of Canada, a Canadian zoo, shut down due to a financial crisis, leaving 30 beluga whales with an uncertain future ahead of them.
After figuring out some very complex logistics, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) authorized an emergency rescue for the whales earlier this week.
The current plan is to bring 28 of the belugas to U.S. aquariums, and send two of them to a Spanish aquarium, Oceanogràfic València, which is still awaiting the necessary permits from the Spanish government. The U.S. government has now formally approved the rescue mission, so our whales are headed stateside.
Two of the rescued belugas are headed to the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta.
The Georgia Aquarium’s two new whales
Local reports state that the whales are headed to four different U.S. Aquariums:
- Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta
- Shedd Aquarium in Chicago
- two SeaWorld facilities in San Diego, Calif., and San Antonio, Texas
The Georgia Aquarium said in a statement on social media,
Without this rescue, the whales’ future was unknown. Now, we can care for them and ensure they are given every possible chance to thrive.
This is just the beginning. We have a long road ahead as we undertake one of the largest, and most complex, beluga rescues in our history. This will not happen overnight; the wellbeing of these animals is critical and it is too soon to say when they will arrive at their new homes.
We’re thrilled that these belugas have a bright future ahead of them due to the hard work at the Georgia Aquarium!
Follow along with the belugas’ progress by checking out @georgiaaquarium on Instagram!
We’re ready to welcome these new belugas to the ATL! And we’re SO thankful for the care team at the Georgia Aquarium for making this rescue possible!
