Third beluga whale dies at Chicago aquarium after rescue from closed Canadian marine park
Quick Look
- Osiris, a 26-year-old female beluga whale rescued from Marineland in Ontario, died at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium after struggling to adapt to her new environment.
- Her death follows the recent passing of Jelly Bean at Oceanogràfic de València in Spain and two other belugas at Shedd in late summer, highlighting ongoing health challenges for the 30 whales relocated from the closed Canadian park to U.S. and Spanish facilities.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Thirty beluga whales and four dolphins were rescued from Marineland in Ontario after the park could no longer care for them. The Canadian government approved a last-minute agreement to move the animals to aquariums in the U.S. and Spain to prevent euthanasia. Beluga whales are sensitive to environmental changes, and the Cook Inlet population is endangered, having declined nearly 80% from 1979 to 2018.
CHICAGO -- A third beluga has died at a Chicago aquarium after being rescued this summer from a shuttered Canadian marine park in a complex international operation that moved 30 whales to aquariums in the U.S. and Spain.
Osiris, a 26-year-old female whale, died on Monday, Chicago's Shedd Aquarium said in a statement. The death comes less than a week after a fourth beluga, named Jelly Bean, died since it was rehomed at Oceanogràfic de València in Spain.
The deaths were sudden and unexpected as their health wavered amid the challenges of adjusting to a new home, according to statements from the aquariums.
Beluga whales are particularly vulnerable to changes in their environment, like climate change, pollution and other sources of stress, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. Beluga whales native to the Cook Inlet on Alaska's coast are classified as an endangered species, and their population rapidly declined by nearly 80% from 1979 to 2018.
“When Shedd was asked to help with this rescue, we understood that these animals arrived with significant vulnerabilities and that the outcome for every individual could not be guaranteed,” the Shedd Aquarium said in a statement.
The Shedd Aquarium took in 10 of the 30 belugas and four dolphins stranded at Marineland, an Ontario park that closed years ago and could no longer care for them. The Canadian government signed off on a last-minute agreement to move its last captive whales out of the country earlier this year, saving them from euthanasia.
The belugas came from the Marineland park and zoo in Niagara Falls, Ontario, which announced in early 2023 that it was for sale and closed to the public in late summer 2024. Twenty whales — 19 belugas and one killer whale — had died at Marineland since 2019, according to provincial government data obtained through freedom of information laws and official statements.
The rescued belugas were moved in custom-made slings and temperature-controlled containers, Shedd staff told The Associated Press. Aquarium personnel traveled to Marineland to examine their health records in preparation for the move. They have monitored their health minute-by-minute since they arrived, the aquarium staff said.
Peekachu and Rain died at the Shedd in late August and early September after arriving from Canada. Another beluga that had lived at the aquarium for decades died around the same time.
Osiris was a “whale of clinical concern” since she arrived, according to the aquarium. The whale did not eat as consistently as her fellow animals, which complicated the efforts to keep her well-fed and hydrated, according to the statement.
“Osiris experienced periods of meaningful progress, both nutritionally and socially, but her overall condition remained closely monitored,” the aquarium stated.
Osiris' caretakers noticed sudden changes in her behavior and breathing patterns the morning of her death, according to the aquarium. She was moved to the medical habitat, but “her condition declined rapidly,” and she “passed away despite lifesaving efforts.”
Jelly Bean, the whale that died at Oceanogràfic de València, also died “suddenly and unexpectedly,” according to José Rafael Serra, a spokesperson for the facility. The whale “experienced feeding difficulties, prompting the veterinary team to intensify her monitoring,” despite periods of improvement, Serra said in an email.
The Spanish aquarium took in two of Marineland's beluga whales, including Jelly Bean. The Georgia Aquarium and SeaWorld locations in San Diego and San Antonio have also accepted whales from the Canadian park.
The two rescued whales at the Georgia Aquarium showed decreased appetites and were examined, but no issues were found, the aquarium said in a social media post Friday. The whales at SeaWorld are in “stable health,” according to AnneMarie Iturrizaga, a spokesperson for the company that owns the parks.
The Shedd Aquarium notified the NOAA of Osiris’ death Monday, according to John Chu, a spokesperson for NOAA Fisheries. Within 30 days of the whales’ deaths, the aquarium must formally submit their names and causes of death, and on request, provide copies of necropsy reports, Chu said in an email earlier this month.
The Shedd Aquarium said it will conduct necropsies into the whales and will share the results when they are confirmed.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Necropsy results will be submitted to NOAA within 30 days of Osiris' death as required by regulation.
Certain · Within days
The Shedd Aquarium will share necropsy results publicly once they are confirmed.
Likely · Within weeks
Open Questions
- What were the exact causes of death for Osiris and Jelly Bean?
- How many of the 30 rescued belugas have died since relocation?
- What long-term health monitoring plans exist for the surviving whales?
- Will necropsy results lead to changes in how rescued marine mammals are acclimated to new facilities?
