THIS is the moment two beluga whales and four dolphins found a new home in Spain after a race against time to save them from euthanasia in Canada.
Moving footage shows a team of vets preparing the animals for travel as they embarked on a seven-hour flight from Toronto to Valencia on Monday.
Belugas Jelly Bean and Cleopatra can then be seen exploring their new tanks alongside dolphins Tsunami, Lida, Echo and Marina after arriving at the Oceanografic aquarium late in the evening.
The international effort to save the animals first got underway in 2024 after Marineland, a notorious water park in Ontario, finally shut down following years of financial struggle.
The closure meant 30 resident beluga whales and four dolphins risked being put down unless they could find new homes, sending environmentalists around the world scrambling to find a solution.
All of the animals have since been transferred to other aquariums in Canada and the US, with Valencia’s Oceanografic the only European facility equipped to receive belugas.
Phil Demers, an activist who led a years-long campaign to save the cetaceans, marked the victory with a heartfelt post on X.
READ MORE: Endangered Egyptian vulture rescued from storm after taking shelter on Costa Blanca terrace
“Wishing my friends a safe trip,” he wrote, adding: “We have officially emptied Marineland’s tanks.”
The six animals were accompanied throughout the journey by vets from the Oceanografic and other aquariums.
They were first transported by road from Marineland to Toronto airport before boarding their specially chartered flight to Valencia.
The journey was carefully planned around the animals’ health, with the Oceanografic saying Spanish vets travelled to Canada months earlier to assess each animal and determine whether they were fit to fly.
Jelly Bean and Cleopatra now face a period of acclimatisation at their new home, where they will initially remain away from public view.
The Oceanografic is the only European aquarium currently housing beluga whales.
It is already home to four others – Yulka, her son Kylu, Plombir and Miranda – meaning Jelly Bean and Cleopatra will eventually have the chance to join an established group.
The remaining Marineland belugas have already been shipped to aquariums including Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, and SeaWorld facilities in San Antonio and San Diego.
However, a 23-year-old female named Peekachu sadly died on Monday following her transport to Shedd in mid-August.
The extraordinary rescue comes after a grim final chapter for Marineland’s cetaceans.
Since 2019, one killer whale, one dolphin and 19 belugas have died at the park, according to a Canadian Press tally based on government documents and official statements.
The deaths came amid years of controversy over conditions at the attraction, including concerns about water quality.
In 2021, the provincial government declared all of Marineland’s marine mammals to be in distress because of poor water quality.
The park spent millions of dollars fixing the problem, although the province’s chief animal welfare inspector later said the water issues did not cause or contribute to the animals’ deaths.
The situation became even more desperate after Canada introduced a law in 2019 banning the captivity and breeding of whales and dolphins.
By early 2024, Marineland had been put up for sale, before its owner, Marie Holer, died later that year.
At one point, Marineland planned to sell its remaining whales to a giant aquarium in China, but the Canadian government blocked the deal.
The cash-strapped park then brazenly threatened to euthanise the animals unless it received emergency financial help.
Despite Marineland’s threats, Canada stood firm and prohibited the park from putting down the animals, helping spur the international response that ultimately brought Jelly Bean and Cleopatra to Valencia.
Click here to read more Valencia News from The Olive Press.
I’m so proud of the city I live near for doing this.