You have my support 100% – a bold undertaking but a great one. A U.S. animal protection group is touring the eastern province of Nova Scotia looking for a community that would agree to host a netted, offshore sanctuary for beluga whales. Beyond these benefits, a community can take pride in the good they are doing for these whales.”. Pleasant Harbour would be the perfect spot for a sanctuary . The tide is turning in the West but in Asia the marine entertainment park industry is booming. i think this would be great for liverpool and i hope that they vote yes to bringing this there and helping these mammals. Sandy & Charles. Mary. Funding for the creation and operation of the sanctuary will be through private donations. So this rehab centre would presumably have a lifespan of about 20 years, tops, as of today. The affection and care shown him from everyone in this community and those who traveled here just to get a glimpse of him, during the months he was with us, was amazing in so many ways. A 2006 study concluded that they can live up to 70 years or more. © 2021 The Whale Sanctuary Project. The Whale Sanctuary Project has announced that it will work together with Sherbrooke and the Municipality of the District of St. Mary’s on the eastern shore of Nova Scotia to create a seaside sanctuary in Port Hilford for whales being retired from entertainment parks. After spending the past couple of weeks meeting and speaking with people in the communities of Terence Bay-Lower Prospect and West Pennant–Sambro near Halifax, Charles Vinick, the project’s executive […] So sorry I was unable to make these meetings :-( Hope there was a good ‘positive’ turn out! make a list of the positive and the negative-do research-then we can discuss possible solutions to the negative and how we can overcome them together. By the time it is funded, environmental assessments are done, the complex built …. The group's mission is 'to establish a model seaside sanctuary … Just for starters, there are approximately 58 beluga whales in small concrete tanks at Marineland at any given time, with some dying and others being born during any given week. By the time … the sanctuary is built, most of the belugas will be gone. belongs to them and maintain that everyone is constantly out to get them and put an end to their industry. Hi. Below is a copy of the announcement, and we look forward to posting more news, photos and information over the coming days and weeks about the site and the people of the region. The SEA LIFE TRUST Beluga Whale Sanctuary was created with support from Merlin Entertainments and Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) with the aim of providing formerly captive beluga whales with a safe and more natural home. 2) Keeping cetaceans in captivity is illegal in Canada now. Thanks for suggesting. The sanctuary will also work with schools and museums to offer educational programs about the whales at the sanctuary and their counterparts in the wild. LOL (the juvenile humpback). I truly hope you find a home for these beautiful, majestic souls that provide them with everything they need to live wild and free. A few responses, and first, just to be clear, the sanctuary we’re talking about would be for 5 to 8 beluga whales retired from entertainment facilities. “It’s an ideal location for whales coming from marine parks and aquariums,” Vinick said, “You couldn’t ask for a more welcoming and eager community than the people of the Sherbrooke area.”. “The Sherbrooke community has exceeded all our expectations.”. If you think your coastal community could be well suited to a sanctuary, the Whale Sanctuary Project would be pleased to hear from you. We already had a happy Beluga visit us. Media contact: Mary Ellen MacIntyre: 902-989-3522. Thank you for the comments and questions. On Tuesday, the organization issued a press release announcing it had … The Whale Sanctuary Project has announced that it will work together with Sherbrooke and the Municipality of the District of St. Mary’s on the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia to create a seaside sanctuary in Port Hilford for whales retired from “entertainment” parks. Luca loved Liverpool harbour and he choose us !! Environmentally, Bras D’or Lakes are challenging as a sanctuary site because of the brackish content of the water and the lack of flow in most areas. Different whale species need different ranges / environmental considerations. © 2021 The Whale Sanctuary Project. Definitely Sheet Harbour / Sherbrooke – or anywhere in the Bay of Islands area (between the two villages). Lots to be considered here. A beautiful place for beautiful creatures. On the river side there is a very, very large salt water estuary that is open to several kilometres of river which salt water content gradually decreases upriver and which depth is controlled by the Tidal Power Station. After their miserable existence obliged to serve human purposes, to welcome them to an environment as similar as possible to complete freedom in the seas is the least we can do for these wonderful sentient creatures. Many thanks to all of you who have supported the Whale Sanctuary Project throughout this extensive search, and especially to our lead sponsor, Munchkin, Inc., makers of unique products for babies and children, without whom we could not have begun this project. A whale sanctuary is an innovative and wonderful pursuit, that would actually be a rare, progressive move for N.S. Why not keep them where they are – i.e. In the wild, beluga lifespans are thought to be much longer. But we will be discussing further with our field team and advisors. I assure you that on the south shore, the group that will take the greatest issue with this project and be the most vocal about it will be the lobster fishermen. Right now, Parliament is poised to enact a ban on keeping any more whales and dolphins at entertainment facilities, and a seaside sanctuary will provide the space and autonomy the whales need in order to thrive. While the project has support, it … “They suffer greatly spending their lives in concrete tanks, and the only way to end their suffering is to relocate them to a permanent seaside sanctuary, where they can receive expert care in a natural environment.”. Canada is officially getting the first whale sanctuary in North America. I support the projects intentions and will be watching to see what area will be selected to advance it’s plans. — A privately funded sanctuary for captive beluga whales appears to be on its way to Nova Scotia. “Of the hundreds of locations that we’ve researched in British Columbia, Washington state and […] 1) The animals are going to still be part of an “educational display”. Today, in light of The Whale Sanctuary Project's announcement that it plans to build a 40-hectare seaside sanctuary for rescued orcas and beluga whales in Today, in light of The Whale Sanctuary Project's announcement that it plans to build a 40-hectare seaside sanctuary for rescued orcas and beluga whales in Nova Scotia, Canada, PETA has sent a letter calling on SeaWorld CEO Sergio D. … At the upcoming meetings, Marino and Vinick will discuss what a sanctuary will look like and how it can play a positive role in the local community. And beluga babies are still being born at Marineland. “I couldn’t be more pleased that this group of distinguished cetacean experts chose Nova Scotia for their first sanctuary.”. I’m still embarrassed to see the huge stop sign styled signs, with bold white NO MPAs along the Highway 7. Our extraordinary experience with Luca, a young beluga whale, who chose our community as a safe haven when he became lost and separated from his pod, proved what a perfect spot this is for critters of his kind. At that point (Annapolis Royal Tidal Power Station) the River & Basin are separated by a causeway & reversible dam. Now, they will be treated (if they can) and left to die in wild, rather than housed and taken care of at places like the Vancouver Aquarium. Sheet Harbour in HRM! We will do all we can to have this project in our area. We are not necessarily going to have different species in the same facility. The Whale Sanctuary Project’s objective is to have the sanctuary ready to receive whales in 2022. Hopefully, Nova Scotia can offer them a natural gateway for retirement! The belugas at Marineland (there are none at the Vancouver Aquarium) are not rescues; they were all either captured and imported, or born into their concrete tanks. The education part will be through an interpretive center, and via video feeds to schools, etc. Yes, it’s still on for this evening at 6.30. Makes us look like uneducated buffoons. no matter what the issue. HALIFAX, Nova Scotia – Feb. 26, 2020 – The Whale Sanctuary Project has announced that it will work together with Sherbrooke and the Municipality of the District of St. Mary’s on the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia to create a seaside sanctuary in Port Hilford for whales being retired from entertainment parks. The whole point of moving them is that the conditions where they are living are intolerable. You can contact them by email at charlesv@whalesanctuary.org. Meanwhile, they pull in millions of dollar for a few months of work and put nothing back into the community, the schools, the hospitals, etc. Wilma the beluga whale loved Chedabucto Bay. What makes Port Hilford, in Nova Scotia, Canada an ideal sanctuary site for whales? There will not likely be very many “good” choices for location. Bravo! “There would be economic benefits including the creation of an education centre, an on-going need to purchase tons of frozen fish to feed the whales, as well as full and part-time jobs to be filled by local residents. A U.S.-based conservation group, The Whale Sanctuary Project, has selected an eastern shore Nova Scotia community for … However, according to a company press release, officials in Nova Scotia are excited about the possibility of the sanctuary. The sole location in Washington is in the San Juans off Cypress Island, the location of Cooke Aquaculture's notorious net pen collapse in 2017. This is fantastic news!!!! He seemed to especially like hanging out near Mersey Seafood Fish Plant! While a proposed whale sanctuary in Nova Scotia is narrowing its focus in terms of sites, it's shifting focus in terms of the whales that could be housed. Public opinion continues to shift away from keeping highly intelligent and far-ranging marine mammals in tanks. Now find that peice of shoreline the fish harvesters will share or give up while not being concerned about pollution. Dr. Stephen Flemming, executive director of Sherbrooke Village Museum, is delighted at the prospect of having a whale sanctuary nearby. Mary. The Chedabucto Bay Area, would be an ideal sanctuary. Very nice and clean area. This is a location in which Belugas could be comfortable & safe. “Most of them have never learned survival skills, so they cannot be released into the open ocean,” Vinick explained. But maybe there is something I am missing. “Whales and dolphins have a highly complex sense of self,” said Lori Marino, President of the Whale Sanctuary Project, who is also a neuroscientist. Now, they will be treated (if they can) and left to die in wild, rather than housed and taken care of at places like the Vancouver Aquarium. Fingers crossed. Hello, is the meeting in Sheet Harbour still happening this evening? More likely a netted-off cove or bay. Will the whales at a sanctuary still be part of an “educational display”? MUSHABOOM, N.S. Sheet Harbour or Sherbrook would be a great place! 1/2 as brackish as the ocean. An interesting project. Whales in pay-2-see, commercial aquariums were never meant to be. See you at the meeting. The Whale Sanctuary Project has narrowed its search to four locations: two in Nova Scotia and two in the Northwest. The mission of the Whale Sanctuary Project is to establish a model seaside sanctuary where whales and dolphins can be rehabilitated or can live permanently in an environment that maximizes well-being and autonomy and is as close as possible to their natural habitat. Tell you what. Dozens of considerations went into selecting the best location for a seaside sanctuary: from water analysis to sea-floor conditions, to tides and currents, to potential impacts of local wildlife on the whales and vice-versa. Funding for the two-year search for an ideal site for the sanctuary has been led by Munchkin, Inc., makers of unique products for babies and children. Mostly ice free and not exposed to the frequent heavy seas that will destroy containment infrastructure. The plan to locate a sanctuary in Nova Scotia comes in the wake of Parliament passing Bill S-203 in 2019, to bring an end to keeping whales and dolphins captive in Canada. Little Luca chose us, so we must have a lot going for us in whale terms! Thank you for considering our beautiful seaside home. Incidentally, last year the Vancouver Aquarium voluntarily ended its program of keeping whales and dolphins on display. “Of the hundreds of locations that we’ve researched in British Columbia, Washington state and Nova Scotia, Port Hilford stands out as the premier location for a whale sanctuary,” said Charles Vinick, executive director of the Whale Sanctuary Project. A positive for Sherbrooke would be how this might benefit both the whales and the community considering it already has a tourist infrastructure and the possibility of seeing whales(from shore) would be a big bonus….Sounds like a huge undertaking but such a positive one. All Rights Reserved. It would be an honour and a privilege to give a new home to whales that have spent the bulk of their lives in captivity. The plan to locate a sanctuary in Nova Scotia comes in the wake of Parliament passing Bill S-203 in 2019 to bring an end to keeping whales and dolphins captive in Canada. “They’ve been holding special activities for the kids,” she said. For more information visit: https://whalesanctuary.org/our-work/. Meanwhile, we support the aquarium’s research and have stated publicly that it has a strong scientific base to stand on and continue its important work. This is an absolutely amazing idea! As the Whale Sanctuary Project scouts possible sites in Nova Scotia for a place to call home, it turns out it won’t be in Terence Bay. “Some will be interested in potential environmental impacts. They believe that the waters and everything in it off of N.S. Thank you all. HALIFAX, Nova Scotia – Feb. 26, 2020 – The Whale Sanctuary Project has announced that it will work together with Sherbrooke and the Municipality of the District of St. Mary’s on the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia to create a seaside sanctuary in Port Hilford for whales being retired from entertainment parks. A fantastic idea and I would vote for Liverpool Bay. “Whales and dolphins are highly intelligent, emotionally sensitive and socially complex animals,” said Dr. Lori Marino, president of the Whale Sanctuary Project. We will look after them and they can look after us. People will be able to see them from the shore and at a distance. Please bring them here. It would be such a great location! It has access to necessary infrastructure and plenty of room along the shore for the facilities that will be needed to care for the animals, as well as for an onsite education and interpretive center. 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