Third Marineland-rescued beluga dies at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium

A fourth rescued beluga, Jelly Bean, died last week in Spain

Osiris was one of 30 belugas removed from Ontario’s shuttered Marineland amusement park over the summer, part of a complex international operation carried out after the Canadian government blocked the sale of the surviving animals to China and left them facing the threat of euthanasia. Ten of the belugas were rehomed at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.

The 30 whales, and a number of bottlenose dolphins, became the subject of what marine activists said was akin to a hostage situation following the 2024 closure to the public of Marineland, which the Guardian described as “a troubled theme park” on the southern shores of the Niagara River. More than 20 whales and dolphins had died there since 2019, and what the Guardian called “a calamitous drop in visitor numbers and income” forced the owners to abandon the venture.

A complex international operation moved 30 whales to aquariums in the US and Spain over the summer, but many did not take well to their new surroundings, according to statements from the aquariums. The deaths were sudden and unexpected as the whales’ health wavered amid the challenges of adjusting to a new home.

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 the whales’ health records in preparation for the move and have monitored the whales’ health minute by minute since they arrived.

The aquarium said in a statement that Osiris had been a “whale of clinical concern” since her arrival, noting that she did not eat as consistently as her fellow animals, which complicated efforts to keep her well-fed and hydrated. “Osiris experienced periods of meaningful progress, both nutritionally and socially, but her overall condition remained closely monitored,” the aquarium stated.

Caretakers noticed sudden changes in Osiris’s 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,” the statement said.

“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 aquarium said.

Two other rescued belugas, Peekachu and Rain, died at Shedd in late August and early September after arriving from Canada. Another beluga, at the aquarium for decades, died around the same time. A fourth rescued whale — Jelly Bean, a 19-year-old male relocated to Oceanogràfic de València in Spain — died last week, according to José Rafael Serra Díez, a spokesperson for the Valencia facility. Jelly Bean “experienced feeding difficulties, prompting the veterinary team to intensify her monitoring,” Serra Díez said in an email to the Associated Press, despite periods of improvement.

Beluga whales are particularly vulnerable to changes in their environment — including climate change, pollution and other sources of stress — according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Native to Alaska’s Cook Inlet, the species is classified as endangered; their numbers declined by almost 80% from 1979 to 2018, according to NOAA.

Shedd notified NOAA of Osiris’s death Monday, according to John Chu, a spokesperson for NOAA Fisheries. Under federal requirements, the aquarium must formally submit the whales’ names and causes of death within 30 days of the whales’ deaths and provide copies of necropsy reports on request, Chu said. The aquarium said it will conduct necropsies and share the confirmed results.

Other aquariums that accepted whales from Marineland described the condition of their rescued animals in recent days. 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 on Friday. The whales at SeaWorld locations in San Diego and San Antonio are in “stable health,” according to AnneMarie Iturrazaga, a spokesperson for the company that owns the parks.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.