Marineland’s transferred belugas deserve protection—not another generation of captivity. CompassionWorks International is calling on Shedd Aquarium, SeaWorld and Georgia Aquarium to make public, permanent commitments never to breed the belugas they received from Marineland in 2026.
This summer, 28 belugas were moved from the now-closed Marineland in Niagara Falls, Ontario, to U.S. aquariums: 16 to SeaWorld, ten to Shedd and two to Georgia Aquarium. Four of the ten sent to Shedd—Peekachu, Rain, Osiris and Caspian—have since died. Shedd has reported serious underlying health concerns among the transferred whales; Caspian’s cause of death remains under investigation.
And then, on October 18th, Cyprus died at SeaWorld San Diego after developing a severe intestinal condition. A necropsy is pending.
These losses underscore the responsibility of the institutions caring for the survivors. Providing care for these whales should not mean using them to produce more belugas who will spend their entire lives in captivity.
CWI’s petition calls for a lifetime no-breeding commitment covering natural mating, artificial insemination and other assisted reproduction. It also calls for a prohibition on using sperm, eggs or embryos collected from these whales to produce offspring.
Those protections must follow each whale if they are moved again, with any future recipient required to uphold the same restrictions. Veterinarian-led breeding-prevention plans should protect the whales’ physical and social well-being, with public reporting on how the commitments are maintained.
These animals have already spent their lives in captivity. Their future should be shaped around their individual needs, not the continuation of captive beluga populations. Please join CWI in demanding a permanent end to breeding Marineland’s transferred belugas.
