91Èȱ¬

North America's first whale sanctuary is due to open in 2023.

The sanctuary is planned for Port Hilford Bay in Nova Scotia in Canada. It will cover around 110 hectares of ocean and will provide a home for whales being retired from entertainment parks.

When finding a place for the sanctuary, the Whale Sanctuary Project said it was important that there was a varied environment for the mammals with both deep and shallow water and a "sea floor rich in plant and animal life".

The special space should be a perfect size for eight whales and the area will be enclosed by underwater nets.

Plans for the sanctuary also include a visitor centre, nature trail and viewing spots. The Whale Sanctuary Project say there will also be opportunities for schools to visit to learn more about whales.

An Operations Centre, where the building of the sanctuary will be overseen has just opened. The project hopes to welcome its first whales in 2023.

There are at least 2,000 whales and dolphins held in captivity worldwide, including more than 250 beluga and orca whales. Experts say that these highly intelligent mammals suffer when confined to spaces like marine parks and aquariums.

Canada's Ending the Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act, which came into force in 2019, means dolphins and whales can not be kept in enclosed spaces except for rescues, scientific research, or for the animal's welfare.

The Whale Sanctuary Project says it is not possible to release whales straight from captivity into the ocean, because they have never experienced life in the ocean.

The organisation says the sanctuary would give them "lifetime care" in a "natural setting that's as close as possible to what they would experience in the wild".