A female beluga whale named Caspian, aged 27, passed away at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, following unsuccessful attempts to save her. Caspian was one of the animals relocated from Marineland in Niagara Falls, Ontario, which led to a total of six deaths among the transferred whales and dolphins. The cause of death for Caspian has not been determined, although the aquarium mentioned she had shown signs of abnormal eating patterns and had imbalanced electrolyte levels, resulting in dangerously acidic blood. Despite being on life support for nearly four hours, Caspian could not be saved.
Recently, the Shedd Aquarium conducted necropsies on two other Marineland whales, Peekachu and Rain, revealing they had pre-existing chronic illnesses. Marineland, facing financial constraints, collaborated with multiple aquariums in the U.S. and Spain to relocate all 30 belugas and four dolphins over six weeks. Unfortunately, some of the relocated animals, including Jelly Bean and Echo, did not survive the transition, further raising concerns about the well-being of the captive marine mammals.