The Whale Sanctuary Project is a nonprofit organization located in Nova Scotia, Canada. It was started in April 2016 and works to build a permanent seaside home for whales that were once in captivity, such as orcas and belugas. The project has received help from animal welfare groups and has assisted in rescuing captive whales in Russia, Marineland of Canada, and marine parks in France.
History
In April 2016, the Whale Sanctuary Project (WSP) was formed in Washington, D.C. with founding board members Dr. Lori Marino, David Phillips, and Dr. Naomi Rose. Steve B. Dunn, CEO of Munchkin Inc., promised $1 million to help find a suitable site for a sanctuary. In May 2017, early work began, including plans for animal care and veterinary buildings, staff housing, and a public education center. Over 120 possible sites in Washington State, British Columbia, Maine, and Nova Scotia were reviewed and narrowed down to 30.
In August 2018, the WSP worked with the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration in the Pacific Northwest to save a 4-year-old orca calf named Scarlett. The calf did not survive. In April 2019, WSP members were invited by the Russian government to help rescue 97 captured cetaceans, known as Whale Aid. In June 2019, the first group of captive whales was released into the ocean where they were originally captured. In October 2019, Port Hilford Bay in Nova Scotia was chosen as a potential site for a seaside sanctuary because it met all design requirements.
In January 2020, WSP members met with Regional Chief Paul Prosper and the Mi'kmaq people. In February 2020, Port Hilford, Nova Scotia, was selected as the sanctuary location. However, the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 delayed further development. Water surveys, algae samples, and studies on water temperature and levels were completed through 2021. Additional work included hydrophone and microphone testing in June 2020, hydrodynamic modeling in July 2020, and studies such as multibeam sonar mapping and benthic surveys from July to September 2020.
In March 2021, site surveys for Port Hilford were completed. The specific location for the sanctuary enclosure was determined between Wine Harbour and Barachois Island. A lidar survey was conducted in July 2021, along with more sonar mapping and hydrophone testing. These studies ensured that sound levels would not harm cetaceans. In August 2021, water and sediment samples from the bay were analyzed in a lab.
In October 2021, the Operations & Visitors Center opened in Sherbrooke, Nova Scotia. A ceremony was held, attended by First Nations people and Hon. Wilfred Moore. Canadian Mi'kmaq artist Alan Syliboy donated two paintings to the center. In December 2021, discussions began with Marineland of Canada about moving retired cetaceans to the sanctuary. However, after Marineland was charged for breaking a 2019 law, these talks ended. In March 2022, the WSP was granted a 20-year lease for 205 acres of the bay by Canada’s Department of Natural Resources & Renewables. The lease included an annual payment of about $1,200 for the entire area.
In March 2022, hydrodynamic modeling and lidar scanning were completed. In April 2022, engineering studies were conducted to plan power, water, and septic systems for the sanctuary. In June 2022, the WSP signed the lease agreement. In August 2022, a two-year study of tidal flows, water pressure, and weather conditions was completed. A work boat was funded by donations from the Animal Welfare Institute.
In November 2022, the Archeologically Resource Impact Assessment was completed. On December 8, 2022, the Wendy P. McCaw Foundation donated $5 million to build sanctuary buildings and a bay pen. The WSP also received support from the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ Ghost Gear Fund and the Municipality of the District of St. Mary’s, as well as the Fishing Gear Coalition of Atlantic Canada.
By April 2023, studies on the recent and current use of the area by Mi’kmaq people were completed. In June 2023, preliminary underwater surveys were conducted to prepare for the final Environmental Site Assessment (ESA). In July 2023, a team of divers collected 27 sediment samples for ESA III, the last required study.
In February 2024, the WSP and the French organization One Voice proposed to move orcas Wikie, Inouk, and Keijo from Marineland Antibes to the sanctuary. In March 2024, the sanctuary design was updated to accommodate the three whales, with temporary care facilities prepared. In June 2024, planning for the bay pen, which would support veterinary and daily care, began. In September 2024, the French government’s environmental agency recommended the WSP as the best sanctuary for Wikie and Keijo. In October 2024, a buoy was placed to monitor the sanctuary site. In November 2024, the WSP and Lotte World Aquarium signed an agreement to relocate a beluga whale named Bella. In January 2025, a three-year environmental analysis of the site was completed. After the Spanish government rejected a plan to move two orcas to Loro Parque zoo in April 2025, the WSP began preparing for the whale transfer.
On October 10, 2025, the Nova Scotia government received a report recommending a 20-year lease for 81 hectares of land and ocean. The lease can be renewed for a second term. However, the WSP had not yet started construction because it needed more funding. Charles Vinick stated that the WSP required about $13–15 million to build enclosures and repair the wharf. As of December 2025, the WSP had raised only about $2 million.
Challenges
The Whale Sanctuary Project encountered several difficulties during its planning. Although the project received a Crown lease for 81 hectares of land and water near Wine Harbour, all five property owners in the area must agree before work can begin. In March 2025, only two of the five property owners provided written consent to the Whale Sanctuary Project, which slowed further progress.
Nova Scotia experiences severe weather that could damage an open facility. The netting used in the project would need frequent repairs because ice forms on it during winter, and algae grows on it during summer. The site also has harmful substances left behind from old mining activities at Wine Harbour. In 1860, gold was first found in the Cove by Joseph Smith, leading to a local gold rush along the northeastern shore. This activity continued until the 1930s. The mining left behind high levels of arsenic and mercury in the soil and sediment.
Design
The pool will cover 40 hectares, have a perimeter of 2.4 kilometers, and reach a maximum depth of 18 meters. It can house up to 10 whales. A visitor center has been built on a hill above the site, but the public will not be allowed to enter the pool. The sanctuary is designed to help whales and dolphins recover in a natural environment, where they will experience wind, waves, and natural conditions while receiving ongoing care from veterinarians.
The total length of the net pen is 1,607 meters, and the total length of the cork line is 1,743 meters. Marine engineers will install it using a traditional anchoring system. The sanctuary will include an animal care and veterinary center covering 2,700 square feet, a building for marine operations, security, and administration covering 3,750 square feet, a net loft and generator storage building covering 2,520 square feet, and an observation tower covering 288 square feet.