Another beluga whale that was relocated from Marineland has passed away at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. The aquarium announced that Caspian, a 27-year-old female beluga, passed away on Wednesday despite rescue efforts. This marks the sixth death among the animals transferred from the closed Niagara Falls theme park over the summer, including four other belugas and one dolphin.
Shedd Aquarium revealed that Caspian was experiencing eating difficulties and exhibited abnormal electrolyte levels in her blood, leading to dangerously acidic blood. Although these findings helped the veterinary team assess the beluga’s condition, the exact cause of death remains unknown. Caspian was kept on life support for nearly four hours before succumbing to her illness.
Previously, Shedd conducted necropsies on two other deceased Marineland whales, Peekachu and Rain, determining that they had underlying chronic diseases. The relocation of all 30 belugas and four dolphins from Marineland to various aquariums in the U.S. and Spain was a collaborative effort to prevent euthanasia due to financial constraints faced by Marineland in caring for the remaining captive marine mammals in Canada.
Sadly, two more animals, a beluga named Jelly Bean and a dolphin named Echo, also died after being moved to Oceanografic Valencia in Spain. The post-mortem details of the deceased animals are still pending, with investigations ongoing.
