Cleopatra and Jelly Bean, two belugas, and four dolphins have arrived at the Oceanogràfic in Valencia after a seven-hour direct flight from Toronto. Their transfer is part of an international operation to relocate 30 belugas and four dolphins left at Marineland Canada following its closure and prevent their euthanasia.
Two belugas and four dolphins have arrived at the Oceanogràfic in Valencia following a complex international transfer from Marineland Canada, which closed more than a year ago.
The six animals — belugas Cleopatra and Jelly Bean and dolphins Tsunami, Lida, Echo and Marina, all females — travelled on a specially chartered aircraft on a seven-hour direct flight from Toronto to Valencia.
Their transfer is part of an international operation coordinated by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and a consortium of accredited aquariums, with the involvement of authorities in Canada, the United States and Spain.
The aim is to relocate the 30 belugas and four dolphins that remained at Marineland following its closure and prevent their euthanasia. The journey to Valencia was the fifth transfer carried out since the operation began.
The animals from Marineland are being relocated to five AZA-accredited institutions: Shedd Aquarium, Georgia Aquarium, SeaWorld San Antonio, SeaWorld San Diego and Oceanogràfic. The Valencia aquarium is the only European institution participating in the operation.
A seven-hour flight after months of preparation
The journey began at Marineland, where the six animals were placed in specially designed transport modules and taken by road to the airport. Veterinary and animal care specialists from Oceanogràfic and other zoological institutions accompanied them throughout the transfer.
After landing in Valencia, the animals completed the final stage of their journey by road to the Oceanogràfic.
The operation required months of preparation. Oceanogràfic veterinary and technical teams had previously travelled to Canada to assess the animals’ health, and each individual underwent an evaluation before departure to determine whether she was fit to travel.
The composition of the transfer groups also took into account the existing social relationships among the animals, with the aim of preserving established bonds that could facilitate their adaptation.
“Cuando la supervivencia de los animales se ve comprometida, los acuarios tenemos la responsabilidad de poner nuestra experiencia, nuestras instalaciones y nuestros equipos al servicio de su protección. Operaciones de esta complejidad requieren meses de preparación, coordinación entre instituciones y un seguimiento veterinario antes, durante y después del traslado”, said Daniel García-Párraga, director of Zoological Operations at Oceanogràfic.
The six animals begin their acclimatisation
For the coming weeks, Cleopatra, Jelly Bean, Tsunami, Lida, Echo and Marina will remain in areas not visible to visitors while the Oceanogràfic team monitors their acclimatisation.
Their diet, behaviour, health and social interactions will be assessed individually, with no predetermined timetable for the next stage. Decisions about their future integration with the other animals at Oceanogràfic will depend on how each individual progresses.
The Valencia aquarium already has experience with complex international cetacean transfers. In June 2024, it worked alongside Georgia Aquarium, SeaWorld and AZA to relocate belugas Plombir and Miranda from the NEMO Dolphinarium in Kharkiv, Ukraine, during the war. The two now live at Oceanogràfic alongside belugas Kylu and Yulka.
According to Oceanogràfic, the veterinary, technical and logistical experience gained during that operation has also been applied to the latest transfer from Canada.
