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Ten beluga whales were brought to Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium as part of a massive international rescue effort, but in the days since their journey, three have died.
Experts have said the rescue mission would be challenging — and getting them to Chicago was only part of the journey.
What happened to the whales?
“Rescue is really just the beginning,” said Dr. Karisa Tang, lead veterinarian and vice president of animal health at Shedd Aquarium. “There is still a long journey ahead, and helping these animals to settle comfortably and safely to their new surroundings takes time, patience and trust. Every day, we are learning more about how each whale eats, rests, responds to new caregivers and relates to other whales. That informs the choices we make, from nutrition and social groupings to when an animal needs more support or simply more time and space.”
That proved true with the loss of the first beluga, Peekachu, a 23-year-old female beluga that suddenly passed away.
But then came two more deaths on Wednesday, including Rain, a 20-year-old female beluga, and Beethoven, a 34-year-old male beluga. Both passed away “despite immediate efforts by animal care and veterinary teams to provide lifesaving measures,” a spokesperson for the aquarium said.
A spokesperson for the Shedd said it’s unclear if the passings were “isolated or related” and further testing would be needed to determine the cause of death.
“These losses are hard, made more difficult by the fact that it will take time to get concrete answers about what led to their passings,” the aquarium said in a statement. “Necropsies, blood tests and additional exams are underway to help better understand what happened. Some answers may come quickly, while others may take more time to come into focus. Given how closely the public has followed the rescue effort, Shedd felt it was important to share this news now rather than wait for every answer.”
Why were the whales rescued?
The whales were brought to Shedd and other facilities in the U.S. and Spain from a closed Canadian park, an alternative to potentially euthanizing the 30 belugas that were left behind when the park closed last year.
Four of the whales were transported to Shedd in late July, then four more in early August, and a final two on Sept. 1.
Each of the whales was lifted out of their old tank on by a special stretcher — fins extended and flapping — before they were transported into a special tank designed to reduce the stress of the trip. Vets and staffers also stood by during the lift to keep the animal’s calm.
Despite extensive efforts to ensure the wellbeing of the whales during transport and in their new home — the 3-million-gallon Abbott Oceanarium — some of the whales showed signs their health was struggling.
Peekachu’s blood samples before her death raised concerns that she was “dehydrated and needed supportive care,” the aquarium said. She died while teams worked to give her medicine and fluids.
Even after the deaths, the Chicago aquarium said the rescue was “necessary.”
“30 belugas urgently needed help and had nowhere else to go,” the aquarium said in a statement. “Shedd and accredited partners were asked to step in. Helping these animals in need is part of Shedd’s responsibility, and our commitment to these whales and their second chance remains unchanged. We appreciate the outpouring of support from so many others who are equally committed to animal welfare.”
What happens next?
The Shedd said animal care teams have been observing the rescued whales 24 hours a day, seven days a week since their rescue began late last month. Caretakers expected it could take several months before the whales are “fully settled into their new surroundings.”
“Shedd will continue to closely monitor, evaluate and care for the entire beluga population around the clock in the days and weeks that follow,” the aquarium said in a statement.
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