Photograph: Daphne Lemelin/AFP/Getty ImagesAccording to Phil Demers, a former trainer turned whistleblower, moving a single whale requires careful planning, but transporting 30 whales is an immensely complex task and one that can nonetheless also be done “incredibly fast”. Of the belugas that could be sent, two have been receiving medical treatment in recent months for health issues. “Once you land- it’s the same process but in reverse.”Depending on the weight of the whales, Demers said that up to nine whales could be transported in a single trip. Three of those whales died soon after arriving, but Demers said those belugas had existing health issues and the aquariums “took a risk” transporting them. “Given Marineland’s appalling threat to execute the 30 belugas and four dolphins, the Minister had little choice but to offer these conditional approvals,” Camille Labchuk, executive director at Animal Justice, said in a statement.