The Georgia Aquarium will soon make room in its Beluga whale habitat for two additions.
The aquarium along with four other accredited aquariums across the country and Spain will rescue 30 beluga whales from Marineland park and zoo in Niagara Falls, Ontario.
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The marine theme park closed in 2024. Last month, the Canadian government endorsed a plan to move the captive beluga whales.
On Wednesday, the Georgia Aquarium confirmed it has received government authorization to move two whales to Atlanta. The other 28 will be rescued by the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, SeaWorld San Antonio, SeaWorld San Diego and Oceanografic Valencia in Spain.
“Without this rescue, the whales’ future was unknown. Now, we can care for them and ensure they are given every possible chance to thrive,” Georgia Aquarium said in a statement.
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The aquarium says the rescue is one of the largest and most complex rescues in its history and the collaboration between them and their partners is crucial.
“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,” officials said.
Georgia Aquarium says it will provide frequent updates on its social media pages and website over the next few months.
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