Barely a week after four beluga whales were transferred from Marineland, a defunct Canadian water park, to Shedd Aquarium, the newcomers have already made an impression on their caretakers. "Sierra is a very independent woman, and she’s spunky. We have Acadia who, she’s 2400 pounds, the largest beluga that we brought here to Shedd, and she loves to eat," said Charlie Jacobsma, director of animal behavior and training at Shedd.
“And then we also have Lilouette and we have Osiris, and both of those are very, very calm and gentle ladies who just go along with the flow,” Jacobsma added. The quartet, which had formed a tight-knit social bond in Canada, have been adjusting to their new digs behind the scenes and have been monitored round-the-clock by Shedd staff — yes, that includes an overnight shift.
Some backstory: Prior to the relocation, a team from Shedd had paid multiple visits to Marineland, a longtime tourist attraction in Niagara Falls, Ontario, that closed to the public in 2024. They interviewed the belugas' caretakers, pored over diagnostics and records, and observed the whales in their home environment to gain an understanding of the animals' individual personalities and needs. Since the foursome's arrival in Chicago, staff have been matching the whales' behavior against that established baseline. Dr. Karisa Tang, lead veterinarian and vice president of animal health at Shedd, was among the group that accompanied the whales from Canada to Chicago. Two dozen belugas still remain at Marineland, out of an original 30 in need of new homes. Shedd is one of six institutions involved in the rescue operation, at the request of Canadian authorities and facilities, and has committed to taking in as many as 10 of Marineland’s belugas, so six more whales could ultimately join the aquarium's pod, which now numbers 12 including the latest arrivals. As for releasing the belugas into the wild, Tang said it wasn't an option.
“It has not happened successfully,” she said. “These animals have been living a certain life for the past decades. Understanding what they would even need to make that happen is gargantuan.” Shedd's belugas have their own unique role to play in the conservation of the species, from caretakers collecting data on the whales' health and behaviors to the interest in marine life they generate among visitors.
