Science & Nature

2 More Belugas Arrive at Shedd Aquarium as Final Whales Leave Defunct Canadian Marine Park

The last beluga whales remaining at a defunct marine park in Canada are now on their way to new homes in the U.S. A pair arrived at Shedd Aquarium on Tuesday morning.

A spokesperson with Shedd confirmed the final rescue from Marineland on Tuesday, with two males — 7-year-old Gimli and 8-year-old Yukon — joining the aquarium’s beluga pod in the 3-million-gallon Abbott Oceanarium.

“Rescue is really just the beginning,” said Dr. Karisa Tang, lead veterinarian and vice president of animal health at Shedd Aquarium. “There is still a long journey ahead, and helping these animals to settle comfortably and safely to their new surroundings takes time, patience and trust.”

In early July, Shedd announced it was one of five institutions approved by the Canadian government to jointly accept 30 belugas from the shuttered Marineland, a longtime tourist attraction in Niagara Falls, Ontario, that closed to the public in 2024.

At one point, Marineland planned to send the belugas to China, a plan that was blocked by Canadian authorities, leading the park to threaten to euthanize the whales.

Four belugas from Marineland were transferred to Shedd in late July and four more arrived in mid-August, all of them females. Staff at Shedd continue to monitor the belugas 24/7 behind the scenes, and caretakers expect it may take several months before the rescued whales are fully settled into their new surroundings.

One whale in the second group of four, Peekachu, died suddenly two weeks after her transport.

A necropsy was performed but it will take several weeks for the final report to be completed. The animal care team is also awaiting lab results that might shed light on what contributed to Peekachu’s death.

“Peekachu’s passing underscores the uncertainty inherent in a rescue of this scale,” Shedd officials said.

The animals arrived with different histories and established care routines, and it will take time, close observation and ongoing health assessments to obtain a full understanding of each rescued beluga’s individual needs, according to officials.

Gimli and Yukon are fed by staff at Shedd Aquarium on Sept. 1, 2026. The pair are the final rescued beluga whales to arrive at the Chicago aquarium from a shuttered Canadian marine park. (Heidi Zeiger / Shedd Aquarium)

Animal rights activists in Canada had fought for the whales to be transferred to a marine sanctuary, but no such facility currently exists.

Advocates are declaring a partial victory, though. Due to Canada’s 2019 “Ending the Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act” — often called the “Free Willy” law — the transfer of Marineland’s belugas (as well as four dolphins) means there are no whales or dolphins left in captivity in Canada.

All of the receiving institutions are accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and, like Shedd, have experience caring for belugas.

Georgia Aquarium, SeaWorld San Antonio and SeaWorld San Diego in the U.S., and Oceanogràfic de València in Spain are also taking part in the rescue.

Contact Patty Wetli: [email protected]

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