Another beluga whale 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 attempts to save her. Caspian is the sixth animal from the closed Niagara Falls, Ont., theme park to die following a large-scale relocation of whales and dolphins over the summer. Four other belugas and one dolphin from Marineland have also perished since being transferred from the former tourist attraction.
Shedd Aquarium reported that Caspian was experiencing difficulties with eating and exhibited abnormal electrolyte levels in her blood samples, which led to dangerously acidic blood. Although these findings provided insight into the beluga’s illness, the exact cause of death remains unknown. Caspian was kept on life support for nearly four hours before succumbing.
Shedd recently conducted necropsies on two other Marineland whales, Peekachu and Rain, determining that they had underlying chronic diseases. Collaborating with four other aquariums in the United States and Spain, Shedd assisted Marineland in relocating all 30 belugas and four dolphins over a six-week period this summer. Marineland cited financial constraints as the reason for the move, stating it could no longer sustain the remaining captive marine mammals in Canada. Tragically, a beluga named Jelly Bean and a dolphin named Echo passed away at Oceanografic Valencia in Spain following their relocation.
The recent deaths of the belugas and dolphin have raised concerns, with post-mortem details indicating significant health issues. Necropsy results for the deceased animals are still pending analysis. Efforts to understand the circumstances that led to the early deaths of these marine mammals are ongoing.
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