2 more beluga whales die at Shedd Aquarium, including rescue from Marineland in Canada

Two more beluga whales, including one rescued from a shuttered Canadian theme park, have died at the Shedd Aquarium.

The Shedd confirmed that Rain, a 20-year-old female rescued beluga who arrived at Shedd in mid-August from Marineland in Canada as part of the recent international rescue effort, and Beethoven, a 34-year-old male who was part of Shedd's resident beluga pod, died on Wednesday despite lifesaving measures.

The Shedd said it's impossible to know if these passings are isolated or related.  

The passings come a week after Peekachu, a 23-year-old beluga who was also brought to Chicago as part of the rescue, died.

Several aquariums from around the country are also taking in some of the rescued belugas.

Marineland, in Niagara Falls, Ontario, shut down in 2024 after its owners died, but remained in possession of the whales. However, it has since run out of funding to properly care for the whales and warned that it might be forced to euthanize them if they couldn't be relocated.

The Shedd says it will continue to closely monitor, evaluate and care for the entire beluga population around the clock in the days and weeks that follow.