Four more belugas arrived at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago as part of a plan to relocate Canada’s last remaining captive whales from Marineland, the aquarium said.
The animals — Caspian, Peekachu, Rain and Secord — were the second group sent from Marineland in Ontario near Niagara Falls after an initial four arrived in July, Shedd Aquarium officials said. The move is part of a larger effort to transport 30 whales and four dolphins after the Canadian government approved the rescue plan, organizers said.
Marineland announced in early 2023 that it was for sale and closed to the public in late summer 2024, the company said. Twenty whales — 19 belugas and one killer whale — have died at Marineland since 2019, according to provincial government data obtained through freedom-of-information requests and official statements.
Organizers said the whales have been making international trips in custom-built slings and temperature-controlled transport containers. A team of experts flew to Canada months in advance to meet the animals’ previous caretakers and review years of health records. “This is a very complex and unprecedented rescue effort. This has never been done before,” said Charlie Jacobsma, Shedd’s director of animal behavior and training.
Jacobsma said the new arrivals first interacted with other Shedd belugas through gates to find compatible companions and now share space with three resident belugas. Dr. Karisa Tang, Shedd’s lead veterinarian, said caretakers monitor the animals “hour by hour, minute by minute,” watching food intake, interactions, swimming behavior and physical signs such as soreness or bruising. Under the plan, the animals are to be relocated to five marine parks: Shedd Aquarium in Chicago; Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta; SeaWorld parks in San Antonio and San Diego; and Oceanogràfic in Valencia, Spain.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
