Beluga whale dies days after move from Ontario park to Chicago aquarium
A beluga whale died at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium days after being moved from a shuttered Ontario park as part of a rescue effort.
A beluga whale that was recently relocated to Chicago's Shedd Aquarium from a closed Ontario park has died, officials said Tuesday.
The 23-year-old female, named Peekachu, died suddenly while caretakers were attempting to rehydrate her, the aquarium announced. She was one of eight belugas brought to Shedd from Marineland park in Ontario this summer — four arrived in July and four more this month.
Marineland closed in 2024, prompting a race to find new homes for its 30 beluga whales and four dolphins before they could be euthanized. In January, the Canadian government approved a plan to export the whales to Shedd and four other marine parks.
According to provincial data, 20 whales — 19 belugas and one killer whale — have died at Marineland since 2019.
The transfer involved hoisting the whales in custom slings and keeping them in temperature-controlled containers, with careful monitoring of their health and behavior upon arrival.
Peekachu was blind in one eye and had difficulty socializing with other whales, the aquarium said. She showed early signs of progress after the trip, but blood tests on Tuesday indicated dehydration. As staff tried to revive her with food and medicine, she died.
The aquarium said it will share a necropsy report as soon as it is available.
The remaining whales and dolphins are slated to move to the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, SeaWorld locations in San Antonio and San Diego, and Oceanografic Valencia in Spain.