Whale sanctuary project in N.S. needs $15 million to open by end of summer

The site for a proposed whale sanctuary is seen in an area south of Port Hilford, N.S., in an undated handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout - Whale Sanctuary Project (Mandatory Credit)

HALIFAX — The Whale Sanctuary Project, a proposed underwater enclosure that would encompass roughly 40 hectares off Nova Scotia’s eastern shore, needs up to $15 million if it hopes to open by the end of summer 2026.

Charles Vinick, CEO of the U.S.-based company, said the project has about $2 million right now, but is looking to fundraise millions more to pay for building the enclosures, refurbishing the wharf and other major infrastructure.

Vinick said in an interview the goal is to finalize the site over the next eight to nine months in order to bring two captive killer whales over from a closed theme park in France.

“This is a mother and a son, so we really have to understand their health,” Vinick said Sunday. “We will certainly bring our veterinarians, our whale care team, to Marineland (Antibes) to work with them and help them every step of the way.”

In a fundraising email sent Saturday, the group shared a statement from the government of France, which said it intends to work with the project to send two captive killer whales, Wikie and Keijo, to the proposed refuge.

“The park’s two orcas are destined to join the Whale Sanctuary Project, a marine sanctuary for cetaceans, in Nova Scotia, Canada,” the statement read.

Mathiew Lefevre, France’s minister delegate for ecological transition, said in the statement Nova Scotia is “the only ethical solution, credible and in accordance with the law.”

“Our role is to protect these animals and to lay the foundation for an exemplary model of transition to marine sanctuaries,” Lefevre said.

In order to welcome the whales next year, the sanctuary group said it must have completed construction by the end of summer. This is because the whales will need a few months to adapt to their new home before winter.

“Right now, we have the funds to begin construction of the sanctuary, but we do not yet have the funds to complete it,” the statement said.

In 2021, France banned keeping cetaceans such as orcas and dolphins captive for entertainment, following the 2019 ban in Canada.

Vinick said while laws are net positives, there are no current guidelines for what to do with animals already in captivity.

“We need to create ocean-based sanctuaries that provide them all the care they’ve ever had. All the veterinary care, all of the tactile experience, all that enrichment they get with us, in a natural environment,” Vinick said.

“We have to do it. There’s no other choice. The public is certainly behind us. We do have a lot of money to raise. It’s a daunting task, but that’s the nature of what we’ve set out to do.”

Vinick said the group is in talks with what he deemed “Angel Donors,” people who have donated large sums of money, along with potential corporate sponsors.

In October, the Nova Scotia government granted the Whale Sanctuary Project a 20-year lease for 83 hectares of Crown lands and coastal waters near Wine Harbour, N.S.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 14, 2025.

— With files from Michael MacDonald in Halifax