The government of Nova Scotia has just cleared the way for North America’s first seaside whale sanctuary.
Maine’s friendly neighbor – just 120 miles to the east of Bar Harbor – is giving new meaning to the expression ‘Free Willy.’
The good news is that not only will caged aquarium whales get to see the open ocean – some for the first time.
But the bean counters at SeaWorld – a whale’s worst nightmare – will be having conniptions.
After all, their stock and trade has always been based on one premise: a performing imprisoned whale is good for the cash register.
Nova Scotia’s government cabinet last week issued the order granting the U.S.-based Whale Sanctuary Project a 20-year lease for 200 acres of public land and coastal waters at Wine Harbor.
The $20 million sanctuary could open by next summer, giving whales and orcas trapped in tanks a chance to finally feel the ocean.
“Now it’s time for abuse-ment parks like SeaWorld to move the animals it imprisons to seaside sanctuaries,” said PETA, People For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals.
Meanwhile, a group of landowners in eastern Nova Scotia is complaining about the first coastal refuge for whales retired from theme parks.
They’re alleging that the cabinet failed to abide by a law allegedly requiring unanimous consent from affected landowners.
If the sanctuary becomes a reality, they claim they will lose access to the ocean, limiting their opportunities for fishing and boating.
Maybe they’ll come to Maine.
