Science & Nature
4 More Belugas Arrive at Shedd Aquarium From Shuttered Canadian Water Park
A beluga whale en route to her new home at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Aug. 13, 2026. (Gavin Wright / Shedd Aquarium)
Four more beluga whales arrived Thursday at Shedd Aquarium as part of a rescue mission from a defunct Canadian park, the aquarium announced.
Shedd’s animal care team, including veterinarians and caretakers, completed a “safe, sound and successful” rescue effort early Thursday morning, according to the aquarium.
The belugas are the latest to be rescued from Marineland, a shuttered marine theme park in Niagara Falls, Ontario, which closed to the public in 2024. A first group of four beluga whales arrived at Shedd Aquarium last month.
Like the first group of rescues, the new rescues are all female whales that have pre-established bonds with one another, according to Shedd. The new additions are:
- Caspian, 27 years old
- Peekachu, 23 years old
- Secord, 22 years old
- Rain, 20 years old
“This is a big transition, so we are taking this process hour-by-hour and day-by-day, at the whales’ pace,” Charlie Jacobsma, director of animal behavior and training at Shedd Aquarium, said in a news release. “Through our constant observations, we learn more about each individual, their personality and progress along the way.”
The rescued belugas remain behind the scenes in Shedd’s Abbott Oceanarium and are out of the view of visitors as they get settled into their new surroundings.
A beluga whale is prepared for transport to the U.S. from Marineland in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Aug. 12, 2026. (Brenna Hernandez / Shedd Aquarium)
Shedd Aquarium said it is committed to rescuing up to two additional belugas as part of a broader rescue effort to find new homes for a total of 30 beluga whales from Marineland. Eleven belugas currently remain at Marineland, according to a Shedd spokesperson.
Other facilities participating in the rescue include Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, SeaWorld San Antonio and SeaWorld San Diego in the U.S., along with Oceanografic Valencia in Spain.
Shedd said it is coordinating future rescue efforts for the animals that remain at Marineland, with details and timelines for additional rescues expected to shift based on the needs of the animals, according to a news release.
The defunct Marineland — which had been cited by the Canadian government for animal welfare concerns — threatened to euthanize the whales after Canadian authorities blocked its plan to send the belugas to China. Authorities expressed concerns they would face continued life in captivity as “public entertainment.” Canada’s government eventually endorsed a plan to move the last remaining whales to aquariums in the U.S. and Spain.
Though Marineland has been roundly criticized for its handling of the whales, the rescue operation has not been universally applauded.
Animal rights advocates in Canada previously raised concerns that some, if not all, of the whales may be in poor health and the shock of being moved could be more than the belugas can withstand. Animal Justice, Canada’s national animal law organization, said it is fearful that if weakened animals are exported, they could become seriously ill or even die as a result.
Beluga whales en route to their new home at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Aug. 13, 2026. (Gavin Wright / Shedd Aquarium)
Advocates also raised the issue of Canada’s “Ending the Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act,” often called the “Free Willy” law. The act not only bans the captivity of whales and dolphins going forward, but also the breeding of them. Animal Justice wants guarantees from Shedd Aquarium and its rescue partners that they will abide by that law.
“This generation of whales was supposed to be the last to suffer in captivity in Canada, and without no-breeding guarantees, Canada will simply be perpetuating our whale jail problem outside our borders,” Camille Labchuk, executive director of Animal Justice, previously said in a statement.
A spokesperson from Shedd previously told WTTW News in an email: “Our entire focus is on facilitating a safe rescue and on the acclimation of the newest whales, their well-being, welfare and normalized, social groups. When animals breed at Shedd, it’s done responsibly and backed by science, best husbandry practices, and AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) accreditation standards.”
Patty Wetli and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Contact Eunice Alpasan: [email protected]
