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Shedd Aquarium in Chicago says two whales have died after it took in 10 beluga whales from Marineland in Niagara Falls, Ont.
Shedd says one whale, Rain, came from Marineland in mid-August while the other, Beethoven, was already a resident.
Marineland, along with Shedd and several other aquariums, recently completed an unprecedented relocation of captive whales after shipping 30 belugas and four dolphins to five destinations.
Another Marineland beluga, Peekachu, died last week after it became severely dehydrated.
Shedd said the deaths occurred Wednesday afternoon despite immediately trying to save the whales.
The aquarium said it does not know if the deaths are related, but they are performing tests and necropsies.
“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,” Shedd said in a statement.
Marineland said it was “deeply saddened” to learn of Rain’s death.
“Our thoughts are with the trainers and staff who loved and supported Rain.”
Marineland up for sale
The relocated animals were the last captive whales and dolphins in Canada after the federal government banned the practice in 2019, but granted an exception for Marineland.
Marineland is up for sale, and sources say a deal is in place for the land so long as the animals are gone. Several hundred deer still remain at the park.
Marineland closed to the public in 2024. Its founder, John Holer, died in 2018 and his widow, Marie Holer, died not long after the park closed for good.
The park has said it was running out of money and had to get its animals out.
Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium is welcoming the first beluga whales rehomed out of Marineland in Niagara Falls, Ont. The transport plan could see many of the remaining whales at the former zoo and theme park moved to U.S. aquariums over the next few weeks.
Marineland permanently closed in 2024, and the 30 beluga whales have been living under the threat of euthanasia since last fall.
The federal government blocked a previous plan to move the whales to an aquarium in China, which prompted Marineland to threaten to euthanize the animals if it did not get an emergency cash infusion.
Marineland turned to a consortium of aquariums abroad.
The whales and dolphins have moved to Shedd, SeaWorld locations in San Diego and San Antonio, Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta and Oceanografic Valencia in Spain.
The whales were given a clean bill of health in the days before each move, with Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson responsible for giving the final approval before each of the six moves.
Nineteen belugas, one killer whale and one dolphin died at Marineland between 2019 and 2025.
In 2021, Marineland moved five whales to Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut.
Two of those whales died within a year of the move and the third died two years after the transfer. Mystic said the whales had pre-existing conditions while Marineland said they were healthy when they left.
