Four beluga whales from Marineland in Canada arrive at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium after rescue
Four beluga whales rescued from a defunct Canadian theme park have arrived safely at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.
Marineland, in Niagara Falls, Ontario, shut down in 2024 after its owners died, but remained possession of the whales. However, it has since run out of funding to properly care for the animals and warned it might be forced to euthanize them if they couldn't be relocated.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said it issued the relocation earlier this month to ensure the belugas receive medical treatment and care that is not otherwise available, adding that "there are no other facilities in Canada that are able to provide the whales husbandry or medical care."
Canada's Fisheries and Oceans Minister confirmed that the rehoming process began on Monday.
Officials from the Shedd confirmed the first four whales have arrived safely in Chicago. They are 27-year-old Acadia, 26-year-old Osiris. 26-year-old Sierra and 21-year-old Lillooet, all females, and chosen to move together in a sub-pod because of pre-existing bonds they had with each other, aquarium officials said.
Crews in Canada used cranes to lift each whale into specialized cold water containers loaded onto trucks that took the belugas to Toronto Pearson International Airport.
They were then loaded onto a Boeing 777 cargo plane under a group of watchful eyes, to be flown to Chicago, where they arrived just before 2 a.m. Tuesday, beginning the next step in a delicate dance.
"Moving animals like beluga whales, even under the best of circumstances, is challenging," said Dan Ashe, president and CEO of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, which organized the move.
Experts said the re-homing of the belugas is unusual, but not unprecedented.
The whales were accompanied by veterinarians who specialize in marine mammal medicine and animal care specialists from Marineland to Chicago.
"This moment marks the next chapter for these rescued belugas," said Dr. Karisa Tang, lead veterinarian and vice president of animal health at Shedd Aquarium. "Now that they are here, the full attention of our care and veterinary teams is on getting to know these whales and providing whatever supplemental support, care, treatment, nutrition and attention we can provide to help them acclimate to their new environment."
Some parts of the Abbott Oceanarium at the Shedd were closed off to the public on Tuesday to help facilitate the move. The whales will not be on display while they get acclimated to their new home. It's unclear when they'll be ready for viewing.
"As with any of our animals, the best indicator of well-being is individual and social behavior," said Charlie Jacobsma, director of animal behavior and training at Shedd Aquarium. "We are watching closely for the rescued belugas to eat a full diet, socialize with one another, and investigate the habitat, which are encouraging signs of their progress. We are cautiously optimistic as we start to see some of those initial indicators, and our dedicated team will continue to monitor throughout this process to acclimatize the belugas to their new home, caretakers and pod."
Other whales from Marineland are being re-homed to SeaWorld San Antonio, SeaWorld San Diego, the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, and the Oceanografic Valencia in Spain.
Two other belugas from Marineland arrived at SeaWorld San Antonio on Tuesday.
Six more belugas could be coming to the Shedd Aquarium in the future.
The rescue effort will take several weeks to mobilize and complete, according to the aquariums, and will be centered around the comfort and safety of the whales.
