Two beluga whales, Frankie and Bertie Botts, are thriving at their new home in SeaWorld San Antonio after being rescued from a shuttered Canadian marine park. The whales were part of the first group of six beluga whales relocated from Marineland of Canada, which closed in 2024 due to its inability to provide long-term care for its animals.

Introduction to New Home

Trainers at SeaWorld San Antonio are carefully introducing the pair to the park’s existing pod of eight beluga whales, allowing the animals to dictate the pace of each new step. According to Katie McCullough, curator of animal husbandry at SeaWorld San Antonio, the whales have exceeded expectations and are doing fantastic.

The whales began learning the layout of their new home, a 2.5 million-gallon habitat made up of seven interconnected pools filled with chilled saltwater. Trainers are slowly acclimating them to each of the pools, introducing them to new areas one day at a time.

Meeting New Friends

Once the pair became comfortable navigating their new surroundings, trainers began introducing them to SeaWorld’s resident belugas. One of their first introductions was with Naluark, a 40-year-old male beluga whale, chosen because Frankie and Bertie Botts previously lived alongside larger males in Canada.

Guests can already catch glimpses of the rescued whales during behind-the-scenes tours of the beluga habitat, and SeaWorld expects to introduce them into the park’s primary viewing pool in the coming weeks as they continue acclimating.

Original reporting: San Antonio Report — read the source article.