North America’s first-ever whale sanctuary is one step closer to becoming a reality.
What happened: The Nova Scotia government officially granted a lease for 80 hectares of Crown land and water on the province’s Eastern Shore to the Whale Sanctuary Project (WSP).
- The non-profit announced plans for a sanctuary in the area in 2020, but struggled to obtain consent from property owners worried about water access and foot traffic. Nova Scotia decided to waive this unanimous consent requirement.
Why it matters: Only two whale sanctuaries are recognized by the International Whaling Commission, but many whales are currently, or will soon be, looking for new homes as more marine theme parks shutter.
- Parks looking to offload their whales include Marineland Antibes in France and the Miami Seaquarium. Then there’s the example you’re probably already aware of…
In Canada: Marineland is struggling to rehome its 30 belugas, with the federal government denying the disgraced and defunct park’s request to ship the whales to a Chinese park earlier this month. WSP is pitching itself as an ideal home for as many as 10 belugas.
Yes, but: Marineland says it has zero interest in WSP, citing concerns about alleged mining waste in the area — it also likely doesn’t help that the park wants to sell the whales, not donate them. To be fair to Marineland though, the sanctuary seemingly has no timeline for opening.—QH