Seven More Beluga Whales Just Completed a 2,000-Mile Journey to Safety
Meet the newest arrivals in Texas: seven beluga whales who just finished one of the longest rescue journeys of their lives — and by all accounts, they’re settling in beautifully.
Xena, Gemini, Skyla, Meeka, Eve, Neva, and Calypso arrived safely at SeaWorld San Antonio this week after traveling nearly 2,000 miles from Marineland in Niagara Falls, Ontario. It’s the second and largest transport yet in an international effort to relocate 30 beluga whales that could no longer be cared for at their former home.
Getting there was no small feat. The seven whales — all female, chosen to move together as a sub-pod — traveled in specialized, water-filled transport units by both truck and plane. Veterinarians and animal care specialists stayed with them the entire way, watching over their health for the length of the trip.
Now that they’ve arrived, the real work of settling in has begun. Caretakers are letting each whale adjust at her own pace, watching closely for the signs that matter most: eating well, resting comfortably, and starting to interact with each other and their new surroundings.
They join Frankie and Bertie Botts, two male belugas who arrived at SeaWorld San Antonio last month and have already been settling into their 2.5-million-gallon habitat — a chilled, saltwater complex of seven interconnected pools kept between 55 and 60 degrees to match the cold water belugas need. Frankie and Bertie ate within hours of arriving, a strong early sign for the new group to follow.
This rescue isn’t a solo effort. SeaWorld is working alongside fellow AZA-accredited institutions — Shedd Aquarium, Georgia Aquarium, Mystic Aquarium, and Oceanogràfic València — to give all 30 whales a permanent, well-cared-for home. It’s being described as the largest beluga transfer ever attempted, and it’s happening because veterinary and conservation teams across two countries decided these whales deserved a real shot at a good life.
Seven whales, one long trip, and a whole team of people who didn’t stop until they were safe.
