Another beluga whale from Marineland that was relocated to the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago has passed away. The aquarium announced the death of Caspian, a 27-year-old female beluga, on Wednesday despite attempts to save her. Caspian is the sixth animal from the now-closed Marineland in Niagara Falls, Ontario, to die following the extensive transport of whales and dolphins during the summer. Among the deceased animals were four other belugas and one dolphin that were moved from Marineland.
According to the Shedd Aquarium, Caspian had been experiencing problems with eating and showed abnormalities in her electrolyte levels based on blood samples. The park mentioned that her blood had reached a dangerously acidic level. While these findings helped the veterinary team understand the severity of Caspian’s condition, the exact cause of her death remains undetermined. Caspian was kept on life support for nearly four hours before passing away.
Previously, Shedd conducted necropsies on two other Marineland whales, Peekachu and Rain, revealing they had chronic underlying illnesses. Marineland collaborated with Shedd and other aquariums in the U.S. and Spain to relocate all 30 belugas and four dolphins over six weeks due to financial constraints and the inability to provide care for the remaining captive marine mammals in Canada.
Unfortunately, not all transitions were successful, as a beluga named Jelly Bean and a dolphin named Echo perished at the Oceanografic Valencia in Spain post-relocation. The post-mortem details of the deceased animals from the Shedd Aquarium are still pending, with necropsy results awaited. CBC News reached out to Marineland for comments without receiving a response by the time of publication.