SeaWorld San Antonio has welcomed seven additional female beluga whales. These animals arrived Tuesday as part of a large relocation project involving dozens of whales from a closed park in Canada.
This group includes Xena, Gemini, Skyla, Meeka, Eve, Neva, and Calypso. The transport represents the largest transfer of beluga whales ever completed in the United States. Caretakers moved the 1,200-pound mammals using specialized water-filled units on flatbed trucks and a dedicated cargo plane.
Steve Aibel, the vice president of zoological operations at the facility, stated that the transport went according to plan. The whales are currently in a private habitat away from public view. Veterinary staff are monitoring their nutrition and health as they adjust to the new environment.
These seven whales follow the successful relocation of two male whales last month. Four other whales from that initial group were transferred to the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration approved these moves after the Canadian park stated it lacked the resources to care for the animals further.
Seventeen whales still remain at the Canadian location. Future relocation plans involve sending them to aquariums in Georgia, California, and Spain, though a specific timeline for these final transfers is not yet public.