Another beluga whale that was relocated from Marineland has passed away at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. The aquarium announced the death of Caspian, a 27-year-old female beluga, on Wednesday despite their efforts to save her. This marks the sixth death of an animal from the closed theme park in Niagara Falls, Ontario, following a significant transfer of whales and dolphins over the summer.
Shedd reported that Caspian was facing eating difficulties and exhibited abnormal electrolyte levels in her blood samples, with dangerously acidic blood. While these findings provided insight into the beluga’s condition, the exact cause of death remains undetermined. Caspian was on life support for nearly four hours before succumbing to her illness.
The recent necropsies conducted by Shedd on two other deceased Marineland whales, Peekachu and Rain, revealed chronic underlying diseases. Collaborating with four other aquariums in the United States and Spain, Marineland had relocated all 30 belugas and four dolphins over a six-week period this summer. Marineland had cited financial constraints as the reason for the relocation, stating their inability to continue caring for the remaining captive whales and dolphins in Canada.
Tragically, subsequent to the transfer, a beluga named Jelly Bean and a dolphin named Echo passed away at Oceanografic Valencia in Spain. The post-mortem results for the other deceased animals are still pending analysis.
