Beluga Whale Dies at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium After Relocation from Canada

A 23-year-old beluga whale named Peekachu died suddenly at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium during efforts by caretakers to rehydrate her, according to the Associated Press. The animal’s death occurred on Tuesday, less than a week after she and several other belugas were transported hundreds of miles from a shuttered marine park in Ontario, Canada, as part of an international relocation effort for Canada’s last captive whales.

Peekachu was one of eight whales moved from Marineland in Niagara Falls to the Shedd Aquarium this summer, with four arriving in July and four more arriving in August, according to the Associated Press. Marineland permanently closed its doors in 2024, leaving its remaining population of 30 beluga whales and four dolphins facing the threat of euthanasia before the Canadian government approved a plan in January to export them to facilities in North America and Europe, as reported by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

Relocation and Transport of Marineland Whales

The complex transfer operation involved hoisting the marine mammals in custom-made slings and holding them inside temperature-controlled containers, aquarium officials told the Associated Press. Once the animals arrived in Chicago, caretakers monitored their health and behavior continuously. Aquarium officials noted that Peekachu was blind in one eye and experienced difficulties socializing with other whales.

While the whale showed early signs of progress following the cross-border journey, blood samples drawn on Tuesday raised concerns among staff regarding severe dehydration, according to the Associated Press. Caretakers attempted to administer food and medicine to revitalize her that evening, but she died before stabilizing. Shedd Aquarium stated that it will share the results of a necropsy report once it is completed.

Wider Relocations and Precedent

The Canadian federal government banned captive whale displays in 2019 but granted an exemption for Marineland to allow the phased transfer of its animals. Alongside the animals sent to Chicago, Marineland’s remaining whales and dolphins were distributed to the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, SeaWorld locations in San Antonio and San Diego, and Oceanografic Valencia in Spain, according to the Associated Press and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

Provincial government data obtained through freedom-of-information laws and official statements indicate that 19 belugas, one killer whale, and one dolphin died at Marineland between 2019 and 2025. In a prior transfer in 2021, Marineland moved five whales to Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut, where three of those animals died within two years of arrival, according to Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reporting.