A Canadian theme park has warned it will have no choice to execute 30 beluga whales if it does not receive urgent Government funding for their upkeep.

Marineland, which has come under fire amid allegations of mistreatment of their animals, has been attempting to sell off their assets since closing its doors to the public last year.

The zoo and amusement park has said it does not have enough cash to cover the cost of caring for its whales, which are the last to be held in captivity anywhere in Canada.

Marineland attempted to ship the beluga whales to China's Chimelong Ocean Kingdom earlier this month, but the request was blocked by Canada.

Marineland attempted to ship the beluga whales to China's Chimelong Ocean Kingdom earlier this month

Canadian Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson said sending the Artic mammals to China “would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have endured”.

Marineland has seen 19 beluga whales and one killer whale die under its watch since 2019.

The amusement park was previously lambasted after investigators uncovered that poor water quality was causing distress to all animals in captivity there.

Marineland wrote to the Canadian Government on Friday to plead for emergency financial support, the New York Times reported.

Marineland has seen 19 beluga whales and one killer whale die under their watch since 2019

Marineland management is believed to have written: “If we do not receive a response by that date, we will have no choice but to presume that the answers to our inquiries are negative."

The amusement park added that it would be left with no choice but to “face the devastating decision of euthanasia”.

But the Fisheries Minister turned down the request.

Ms Thompson wrote: “The fact that Marineland has not planned for a viable alternative despite raising these whales in captivity for many years, does not place the onus on the Canadian government to cover your expenses."

Ms Thompson has argued that whales belong in the ocean instead of amusement parks.

Experts have warned that ocean-dwelling mammals born in captivity are unable to returne to nature as they do not develop the survival instincts to live in the wild.

Amusement parks which host live shows involving sea creatures such as whales and dolphins have come under scrutiny in recent years, with animal rights campaigners in the Western world speaking out against the practice.

Attendances for such shows have seen a sharp decline in recent years.

Amusement parks that host live shows involving sea creatures such as whales and dolphins have come under scrutiny in recent years

Beluga whales are highly sociable mammals and are renowned for their distinctive facial expressions.

They are one of the few whales capable to surviving the harsh waters of the Arctic Ocean, alongside bowhead whales and narwhals.

There are 21 separate beluga whale populations across the Arctic - but those which inhabit Canada's Hudson Bay, Ungava Bay, and the St Lawrence River have been listed as endangered.

In the St Lawrence Estuary, beluga whales been exposed to industrial pollutants, which have led alarming numbers of the mammals to develop cancers and weakened immune systems.