Three More Rescued Belugas Arrive at SeaWorld San Diego as Historic Marineland Relocation Continues
Three more beluga whales have safely arrived at SeaWorld San Diego, marking another major step in the unprecedented international effort to relocate whales from the now-closed Marineland of Canada.
Xavier, Cyprus and Jasper arrived in San Diego on Saturday, August 22, after traveling more than 2,500 miles from Niagara Falls, Ontario. The three males were transported together because of their established social bond and have lived together since birth.
Xavier, 13, and nine-year-olds Cyprus and Jasper each weigh approximately 1,500 pounds. Their relocation was the fourth major transport since the rescue operation began in July and the first to move an established all-male group together.
Getting three belugas across an international border and an entire continent was no small undertaking.
Each whale traveled in a specially designed transport unit equipped to maintain a cold-water environment throughout the journey. The whales were supported in padded slings and accompanied continuously by veterinarians and experienced animal-care specialists who monitored them throughout the approximately 12-hour operation. The air portion of the journey was completed aboard a Qatar Airways Boeing 777 cargo aircraft and lasted approximately four and a half hours. By Saturday morning, Xavier, Cyprus and Jasper had reached their new home at SeaWorld San Diego.
For now, their world is being kept deliberately small.
Animal-care teams are giving the three whales time to become comfortable with their new environment, routines and caregivers before introducing them to San Diego’s resident belugas. Those introductions will happen gradually, based on the animals’ individual behavior and comfort levels.
Xavier, Cyprus and Jasper join Allua, Klondike and Oliver, bringing SeaWorld San Diego’s beluga population to six. Klondike also has a connection to Marineland, having been born there in 2002 before moving to San Diego in 2014. Allua arrived from Vancouver Aquarium in 2005, while Oliver moved to San Diego from SeaWorld Orlando in 2024.
A Rescue Months in the Making
The San Diego arrivals are part of a much larger effort prompted by the closure and deteriorating financial situation of Marineland of Canada.
The Ontario marine park closed to the public in 2024, leaving dozens of marine mammals in need of continued care. As Marineland’s financial situation worsened, questions surrounding the long-term future of its remaining animals became increasingly urgent.
After months of uncertainty, Canadian and U.S. authorities approved a massive international relocation effort involving SeaWorld and several accredited aquariums in the United States. The first group departed Marineland on July 20 and 21. Six belugas were relocated: females Acadia, Osiris, Sierra and Lillooet went to Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, while males Bertie Bott and Frankie traveled to SeaWorld San Antonio.
Less than two weeks later, the operation was underway again.
Seven additional belugas – Xena, Gemini, Skyla, Meeka, Eve, Neva and Calypso- were transported to SeaWorld San Antonio on August 3 and 4.
A third transport followed on August 12 and 13. Caspian, Peekachu, Secord and Rain, also known as Spurlock, were relocated to Shedd Aquarium, while males Balor and Zephyr traveled to Georgia Aquarium.
Then came Xavier, Cyprus and Jasper.
Their August 22 arrival in San Diego brought the number of belugas relocated through the first four transports to 22. Of those animals, 12 were welcomed by SeaWorld parks, nine in San Antonio and three in San Diego.
An Enormous Collaborative Effort
Moving a beluga whale is extraordinarily complicated. Moving dozens of them from a closing facility across international borders requires coordination between animal-care teams, veterinarians, government agencies, transportation specialists and multiple zoological organizations.
The whales cannot simply be placed on an aircraft and sent to their destination. Each transport must account for water temperature, body positioning, hydration, respiratory function, stress and countless other variables, with specialists remaining close enough to intervene throughout the journey.
Another important consideration is the relationships between the whales themselves.
Belugas are highly social animals, and the decision to move Xavier, Cyprus and Jasper together reflects the effort to preserve established relationships whenever possible during an otherwise enormous disruption to their lives.
The coming weeks will focus on allowing the trio to acclimate to their surroundings and build relationships with the animal-care team. Eventually, when the whales demonstrate that they are ready, introductions to Allua, Klondike and Oliver can begin at a pace determined by the animals themselves.
The Rescue Continues
The unprecedented relocation effort has brought a sense of relief after months of uncertainty surrounding Marineland’s animals, but it has not been without heartbreak.
On August 26, Shedd Aquarium announced that Peekachu, one of the females relocated earlier in the month, had died. According to the aquarium, she initially showed encouraging signs following her arrival but later developed concerning bloodwork associated with dehydration. She died while receiving treatment, and a necropsy is expected to provide additional information about the cause of her death.
Her death is an important reminder of how complex relocating large marine mammals can be, and why the work does not end when an animal reaches its destination.
We would like to extend our deepest condolences to her family – past, present, and from afar.
For Xavier, Cyprus and Jasper, however, a journey of more than 2,500 miles is finally over. They now have something that was far from certain only months ago: a stable home, familiar companions beside them and an experienced team dedicated to helping them adjust. Twenty-two belugas have now been relocated from Marineland through the first four transports, with SeaWorld providing new homes for more than half of them.
