What The Whale Sanctuary Project does

The Whale Sanctuary Project is a U.S.-incorporated 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2015 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its operational footprint centered on a planned coastal sanctuary in Port Hilford Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada. Its mission is to end the confinement of captive whales and dolphins in entertainment facilities by creating seaside sanctuaries that provide a natural environment as close as possible to the animals' native habitat.

The core product is a 40-hectare coastal floating net enclosure engineered to hold up to 10 orcas or belugas, delivering approximately 484,000 square yards of space compared to roughly 1,100 square yards in a typical high-end marine park display tank. Supporting offerings include a planned Visitor Centre for public education, Whale Aid international marine mammal rescue-assistance programs, and a Live Series of educational webinars. The project's underlying "technology" is fundamentally physical infrastructure combined with welfare-science protocol rather than software, and it is supported by lead sponsor Munchkin, Inc. and a landmark partnership with the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi'kmaw Chiefs.

The organization is funded entirely through tax-deductible donations and grants, with a stated $15 million construction budget and approximately $1.5 million in annual operating costs. Its go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: email subscriptions, blog and video content, social media, and milestone events (such as the June 2026 groundbreaking at Wine Harbour) drive awareness and fundraising. Its primary beneficiaries are captive cetaceans retired from marine parks, and its primary "customers" in a fundraising sense are individual donors and anchor corporate sponsors. After more than six years of regulatory and planning work, the project reached the groundbreaking stage in mid-2026, though it still faces local landowner opposition and has not yet completed its first whale relocation (a planned 2025 effort to take orcas Wikie and Keijo from Marineland Antibes in France was blocked by French authorities classifying the whales as private property).

Name

The Whale Sanctuary Project

Legal name

The Whale Sanctuary Project

Website

https://whalesanctuary.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Whale Sanctuary Project is a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit building North America's first coastal cetacean sanctuary — a 40-hectare floating net enclosure in Port Hilford Bay, Nova Scotia — to retire captive whales and dolphins from marine parks, funded by donations and led by sponsor Munchkin, Inc.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Animal Sanctuary Services

NAICS

Zoos and Botanical Gardens (712130)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine Wildlife Sanctuaries & Protected Seascape Visitor Operations (Reef/Marine Parks) (THAAAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sanctuaries & Long-Term Care (Farm, Equine, Exotic) (BPAGAIAH)

Keywords

• Whale sanctuary operations
• Marine mammal welfare
• Cetacean conservation
• Captive animal rescue
• Coastal habitat sanctuary

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that relies on charitable donations from individuals and organizations to fund construction (estimated $15 million) and annual operating costs (estimated $1.5 million). Lead sponsor Munchkin, Inc. provides major financial support.
2. Government and Foundation Grants: May pursue government grants and foundation funding for conservation and marine mammal welfare initiatives.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Whale Sanctuary Project develops and operates a 40-hectare floating net enclosure sanctuary in Port Hilford Bay, Nova Scotia, designed to provide a natural coastal refuge for captive whales and dolphins retired from marine theme parks, with capacity for up to 10 orcas or belugas. The organization complements the sanctuary with a Visitor Centre, international Whale Aid rescue assistance programs, and educational webinars and video content to advance marine mammal welfare and science.

Product overview

The Whale Sanctuary Project is a nonprofit organization operating as a single-product entity focused on creating a gold-standard coastal whale sanctuary in Port Hilford Bay, Nova Scotia. The core offering is the sanctuary itself—a 40-hectare floating net enclosure designed to house up to 10 cetaceans (orcas or belugas) retired from marine parks. Supporting offerings include a Visitor Centre for public education, Whale Aid Programs for international marine mammal rescue assistance, and a Live Series of educational webinars. The organization is also developing video tours of the sanctuary site to support outreach and education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Coastal Whale Sanctuary A 40-hectare floating net enclosure in Port Hilford Bay, Nova Scotia designed as a coastal refuge for cetaceans (whales and dolphins) retired from marine theme parks, capable of holding up to 10 orcas or belugas.
• Visitor Centre A visitor center at the sanctuary providing public access and educational opportunities about marine conservation.
• Whale Aid Programs International marine mammal rescue assistance programs providing support for whale and dolphin welfare initiatives worldwide.
• Live Series Webinars and Video Tours A series of webinars and video content about whales and dolphins covering sanctuary updates, Whale Aid programs, and related events, delivered to supporters and the public.

Quantifiable outcome

• 484x more space than typical marine park tank
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and minor.

• Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi'kmaw ChiefsflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 July 2026Landmark agreement signed to advance marine stewardship and education. The partnership focuses on collaborative efforts for marine mammal welfare and Indigenous-led conservation in Nova Scotia waters.
• Marineland Antibes (Former)minorOthersAttempted partnership to relocate two captive orcas (Wikie and Keijo) from the now-closed Marineland Antibes theme park in France. The effort was unsuccessful as France's government stated the whales remain private property of the park owners who oppose relocation. The project remains ready to proceed once policy aligns with welfare-first solutions.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW): Global animal welfare nonprofit with marine mammal rescue and policy programs; comparable donor-base dynamics and advocacy-led operating model.
• Georgia Aquarium: Largest U.S. aquarium and a key institutional stakeholder in cetacean captivity debates; comparable as a holder of captive cetaceans that could become a source population for future sanctuaries.
• Ocean Park Hong Kong: Major Asia-based marine theme park holding cetaceans; relevant as a potential source of retired animals and as a counterpart in the global captivity-vs-sanctuary dynamic.
• World Animal Protection: Large international animal welfare nonprofit running global campaigns to end wildlife captivity; broader portfolio but overlapping goals in marine mammal welfare.
• Humane Society of the United States (HSUS): Major U.S. animal welfare organization with cetacean captivity reform campaigns; comparable scale, fundraising mechanics, and legislative advocacy posture.
• SeaWorld Entertainment: Operates the largest U.S. marine parks holding captive cetaceans; represents the incumbent industry whose practices WSP is working to reform and from which potential sanctuary whales would be sourced.

Direct peers

• Sea Shepherd Conservation Society: Marine conservation nonprofit running campaigns against cetacean captivity and exploitation; aligns with WSP on mission and on direct-action protest methodologies.
• The Marine Mammal Center: Operates a major marine mammal hospital and rescue operation with public education programs; closely comparable as a nonprofit combining cetacean rescue, rehabilitation, and visitor-facing education.
• SEA LIFE Trust: Operates the world's first open-water beluga whale sanctuary in Iceland using a similar floating net enclosure model; most direct comparable as a marine-park-affiliated nonprofit building coastal cetacean sanctuaries.
• Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC): Leading international nonprofit focused on ending cetacean captivity and protecting whales/dolphins; shares WSP's mission and policy-advocacy approach to marine mammal welfare.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/whalesanctuaryproject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/whale-sanctuary-project

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Whale Sanctuary Project