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The transfer of six belugas from Marineland in Niagara Falls, Ont., to aquariums in the U.S. began Monday.

Here’s a visual recounting of how it worked.

This drone image shows whale pools at the closed tourist attraction on Monday, ahead of the move. Marineland staff could be seen attending to and feeding the whales.

The operation to move the creatures, which can weigh as much as 1,900 kilograms, involved special slings, cranes, transport trucks, large blue containers and more than two dozen workers.

In a shot taken from high above, whales can be seen submerged in a large pool broken into three sections. Five people walk near the pools.
Marineland on Monday. (Patrick Morrell/CBC)

The water was partially drained from one of the pools.

A shallow pool, shot from high above, with whales below the surface and about dozen people wearing helmets crowded around one whale. Outside the pool is a flatbed transport truck with a large blue box on it and a crane.
Workers move into the pool at Marineland Monday. (Patrick Morell/CBC)

Experts from Marineland and the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago were on scene. Here, workers surround a whale with netting to manoeuvre it into a sling.

People in helmets in thigh deep water wrap netting around a white whale.
Bertie Botts is moved into position at Marineland on Monday. (Carlos Osorio/The Canadian Press)

The whales were moved in the special slings, which had holes for their flippers, by crane to large blue containers on the back of a flatbed trailer. (These images don’t show all the same whale, but show what the sequence was like for any one of them.)

In a shot from above, people wearing helmets gather around a sling attached to orange straps.
Workers surround a sling. (Patrick Morrell/CBC)
A sign says "13" and the sign below it, with illustrative arrows, says "LIVE ANIMALS THIS SIDE UP"
The tank for the beluga named Acadia sits ahead of the move Monday. (Carlos Osorio/The Canadian Press)
People in hard hats and safety vests near a white whale suspended in the air in a hammock-like structure, with holes for its flippers.
Sierra is lifted in a sling. (Carlos Osario/The Canadian Press)

The transport container included water, a pool liner and soft material to act as a cushion.

Men with hard hats stand near a blue container with a whales flukes and flippers sticking out a sling elevated in the air.
The beluga Frankie is lowered into place. (Carlos Osorio/The Canadian Press)
A water splashes into the sky behind transport truck hauling an open flatbed that says "PADDOCK". People in hard hats stand on the sides.
Sierra splashes water out of its container. (Carlos Osorio/The Canadian Press)
A white whale in a sling shot from well above, on the back of a flatbed truck and next to a large crane. People in hard hats work nearby.
A whale in its travelling container Monday. (Patrick Morrell/CBC)

The police-escorted convoy then made its way to Toronto Pearson International Airport. The convoy, which included medical teams, was to move slowly and avoid steep inclines, to keep the whales stable.

The Marineland scene is seen at the top of an amusement park ride's tower. Four black transport trucks, their flatbeds now covered with black trailers that say "PADDOCK" are on the street below.
The trucks, their backs now enclosed, on Monday at Marineland. (Patrick Morrell/CBC)
Transport trucks move along a multilane highway at night. Two of them say "PADDOCK" in illuminated letters.
The convoy of six belugas moves along a highway toward Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday night. (Carlos Osorio/The Canadian Press)

Four of the whales being shipped Monday — Sierra, Acadia, Osiris and Lillooet — were headed to the Shedd Aquarium, while the others — Bertie Botts and Frankie — were going to SeaWorld in San Antonio. They were all transported on the same plane.

The whales were scheduled to arrive at their new homes today.

The transport plan could see up to 30 of the remaining whales at the former park relocated to four U.S. aquariums and one in Spain over the next few weeks.



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