Beluga Sanctuary Initiative: Protecting Canada's Whales

THE PRESENT CRISIS

Ethics, Science, and Sanctuary — Towards a National Network of Care

Canada is now responsible for approximately 30 beluga whales and 4 dolphins that have lived their entire lives in human care. These animals lack the skills and experience required to survive independently in the wild, yet continued confinement in concrete tanks is neither ethical nor sustainable.

A defining moment has arrived.

We must choose a future grounded in sanctuary, care, and long-term responsibility — not quiet decline.

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Beluga whales are highly social, intelligent marine mammals whose wellbeing depends on meaningful habitat, autonomy, and lifelong welfare planning. Ethical sanctuary is not a relocation exercise — it is a commitment to sustained care that respects each animal’s physiology, psychology, and social needs.

Concrete tanks are not sanctuary.

Nor is immediate release into the open ocean.

Both options fail to meet the real needs of animals who have spent their lives in human care. We propose an evidence-based, compassionate alternative.

Housing all captive beluga whales within a single open-water bay presents significant environmental and welfare challenges. Natural tidal exchange and water flow in most candidate locations are limited, and in many cases insufficient to safely disperse waste from large concentrations of cetaceans without extensive engineered intervention.

When waste load, sediment disturbance, and biological stress accumulate faster than natural systems can absorb them, water quality, animal health, and long-term habitat viability are compromised. These risks increase as animal density rises.

Marine mammal welfare research and operational experience consistently indicate that smaller groupings — typically in the range of 8–12 large cetaceans per site — are more compatible with sustained health, stable social dynamics, and effective environmental management over time.

For this reason, Expedition Audacity is advancing a network of three distinct sanctuary sites, rather than a single high-density facility. A distributed model reduces cumulative environmental load, improves flexibility in care and management, and allows each site to be designed around the specific needs, health status, and social requirements of individual animals.

Each site will include:

Protected lagoon environments for stress reduction, medical care, and gradual transition
Connected sea-pen enclosures allowing free movement into open water when each whale is ready
Veterinary and behavioural support teams
Co-governance with Indigenous partners and knowledge holders

This multi-site model ensures:

Safe, humane living environments
Geographic and ecological suitability
Cultural stewardship and local leadership
Capacity to care for all animals responsibly

HOW SANCTUARY WORKS

Sanctuary must be:

Choice-based — no whale is forced into open water and may transition freely between spaces
Veterinary-guided — with ongoing health and behavioural monitoring
Indigenous-governed — with community leadership in stewardship and daily care
Science-informed — grounded in marine mammal welfare research
Non-commercial — no shows, no performances, no exhibition

Sanctuary is care, not attraction.

THE SANCTUARY SITES

HOW SANCTUARY WORKS

1. Newfoundland South Coast Fjord — First Relocations

Deep, sheltered waterways with clean seabeds and low vessel traffic, designed for initial transfers and care of medically or socially sensitive individuals.

2. Mingan Archipelago (Québec)

A rehabilitation and stewardship hub with established marine research presence and Indigenous leadership, supporting long-term care and observation.

3. Broughton Archipelago (British Columbia)

A western sanctuary grounded in Indigenous-led marine restoration traditions and multi-pen care models suited to extended residency.

Why not build a single, large sanctuary for all whales?
Large single-site sanctuaries face significant challenges related to water quality, waste dispersion, disease risk, and long-term welfare. A distributed model better aligns with ecological capacity and animal wellbeing.

Why not release the whales directly into the wild?
Belugas raised entirely in human care lack the survival skills required for independent life in the open ocean. Immediate release poses serious welfare and mortality risks.

How does this approach differ from other sanctuary proposals?
Our model prioritises lower animal density, Indigenous-led co-governance, choice-based movement, non-commercial care, and long-term sustainability over speed or scale.

Is Expedition Audacity opposed to other efforts?
We support all good-faith efforts to improve the welfare of captive marine mammals. Our responsibility is to advance an approach we believe is ethically sound, scientifically grounded, and operationally sustainable.

Building ethical sanctuaries requires many forms of support, working together over time:

Sustained funding for infrastructure, operations, and lifelong care
Specialist expertise, including marine engineering, ocean design, and environmental systems
Veterinary and behavioural professionals committed to welfare-first care
Indigenous governance and co-design partners guiding stewardship and decision-making
Scientific research teams advancing evidence-based sanctuary practice

This work is made possible through collective support at every level — from individuals who contribute once or when they are able, to donors and partners who commit resources, expertise, or long-term collaboration.

Every contribution supports the same goal: building sanctuary responsibly, patiently, and with integrity.

Support is guided by responsibility rather than optics or headlines.

Expedition Audacity Research Foundation

Expedition Audacity Research Foundation - E.A.R Foundation 33-3246352 - 501(c)3 - Dover, Delaware.

11006126 Canada ltd - Expedition Audacity Research Foundation - Fondation de recherche Expédition Audace - 1726380-5

Beluga Sanctuary Initiative

THE PRESENT CRISIS

Ethics, Science, and Sanctuary — Towards a National Network of Care

WHY THIS MATTERS

OUR SOLUTION

OUR SOLUTION

HOW SANCTUARY WORKS

HOW SANCTUARY WORKS

HOW SANCTUARY WORKS

THE SANCTUARY SITES

HOW SANCTUARY WORKS

HOW SANCTUARY WORKS

1. Newfoundland South Coast Fjord — First Relocations

2. Mingan Archipelago (Québec)

3. Broughton Archipelago (British Columbia)

South Coast Fjord Sanctuary (near Burgeo, NL)

Broughton Archipelago B.C. (Thompson/Bond Sound, BC))

Mingan Archipelago, Québec (Gulf of St. Lawrence)

Mingan Archipelago, Québec (Gulf of St. Lawrence)

Broughton Archipelago B.C. (Thompson/Bond Sound, BC))

Mingan Archipelago, Québec (Gulf of St. Lawrence)

Broughton Archipelago B.C. (Thompson/Bond Sound, BC))

Broughton Archipelago B.C. (Thompson/Bond Sound, BC))

Broughton Archipelago B.C. (Thompson/Bond Sound, BC))

CONTEXT & COMMON QUESTIONS

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Beluga Sanctuary Initiative

THE PRESENT CRISIS

Ethics, Science, and Sanctuary — Towards a National Network of Care

WHY THIS MATTERS

OUR SOLUTION

OUR SOLUTION

HOW SANCTUARY WORKS

HOW SANCTUARY WORKS

HOW SANCTUARY WORKS

THE SANCTUARY SITES

HOW SANCTUARY WORKS

HOW SANCTUARY WORKS

1. Newfoundland South Coast Fjord — First Relocations

2. Mingan Archipelago (Québec)

3. Broughton Archipelago (British Columbia)

South Coast Fjord Sanctuary (near Burgeo, NL)

Broughton Archipelago B.C. (Thompson/Bond Sound, BC))

Mingan Archipelago, Québec (Gulf of St. Lawrence)

Mingan Archipelago, Québec (Gulf of St. Lawrence)

Broughton Archipelago B.C. (Thompson/Bond Sound, BC))

Mingan Archipelago, Québec (Gulf of St. Lawrence)

Broughton Archipelago B.C. (Thompson/Bond Sound, BC))

Broughton Archipelago B.C. (Thompson/Bond Sound, BC))

Broughton Archipelago B.C. (Thompson/Bond Sound, BC))

CONTEXT & COMMON QUESTIONS

HOW YOU CAN HELP

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