Two belugas and four dolphins arrive in Valencia from closed Canadian marine park

Arrival in Valencia

Two female beluga whales and four female dolphins arrived at the Oceanogràfic aquarium in Valencia early in the morning on 27 August 2026. The group consists of belugas named Cleopatra and Jelly Bean alongside four dolphins named Tsunami, Lida, Echo, and Marina. The six animals completed a seven-hour direct flight from Toronto aboard a specially chartered aircraft before traveling by road from the airport to the marine park. The transport operation began at the Marineland facility in Ontario, where the animals were secured in specialized transport modules designed for aquatic transit. Veterinary crews and animal care specialists from Oceanogràfic and partner zoological institutions accompanied the animals throughout both the road and air legs of the route to oversee their welfare.

International relocation framework

The transfer to Valencia represents the fifth operational phase carried out to rehouse 30 belugas and four dolphins from Marineland, which closed in 2024 and had sat non-operational for over a year. The captive marine mammals had faced potential euthanasia after the park closure, but the Canadian government rejected the euthanasia proposal in January. The international relocation effort is organized by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and a consortium of accredited marine institutions. The operation involves intergovernmental cooperation between public authorities in Canada, the United States, and Spain, alongside administrative support from the Generalitat Valenciana.

Under this international plan, all four dolphins and two belugas were assigned to Oceanogràfic, while the remaining belugas from the group of 30 are being transferred across four accredited facilities in the United States: Shedd Aquarium, Georgia Aquarium, SeaWorld San Antonio, and SeaWorld San Diego.

Veterinary assessment and adaptation

Logistical planning for the movement of the marine mammals spanned several months of cross-border coordination. Veterinary and technical personnel from Oceanogràfic traveled to Ontario several months before the flight to inspect the animals, noting that their delicate health required continuous veterinary attention. Each individual underwent comprehensive medical evaluations to ensure fitness for air and road transport. The consortium organized transport cohorts based on established social bonds, reflecting the natural group dynamics of both cetacean species. Following their arrival in Valencia, all six animals were placed in dedicated acclimatization pools located away from public viewing areas while veterinary teams continue monitoring their transition.

Beluga population in Valencia

Oceanogràfic is the only zoological institution in Europe holding accreditation to care for beluga whales. Cleopatra and Jelly Bean join four belugas already living at the Valencia facility. The existing resident population includes Yulka, who arrived in 2003 alongside a male named Kairo, who died in 2022, and Yulka's calf Kylu, born at the aquarium in 2016. In 2024, the center also received two rescued belugas named Plombir and Miranda, who were evacuated from a dolphinarium in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv during sustained artillery bombardment. Staff at Oceanogràfic will assess the medical progress of Cleopatra, Jelly Bean, and the four dolphins before scheduling any introduction to shared pools or public exhibits.