Science & Nature
Mother-Son Reunions Among Latest Milestones for Shedd’s Rescued Belugas
Gimli swimming in the Abbott Oceanarium during 24/7 observations. (Courtesy of Shedd Aquarium)
Two of Shedd Aquarium’s female rescued beluga whales have finally been reunited with their offspring after being separated for years at the defunct Marineland park in Canada.
According to the latest status update from the aquarium, the whales, which had been kept in different habitat areas at Shedd since their arrival, are now sharing space. That milestone means the mother-son pairs of Secord and Gimli, and Acadia and Yukon, are now spending time together and getting reacquainted.
Due to a Canadian law passed in 2019 that prohibited the breeding of whales in captivity, Marineland had to keep its male and female belugas apart. Now all six of the surviving belugas transferred to Shedd from Marineland — four females and two males — have been reintegrated into the same pod.
Another sign of progress: All six rescued belugas have now been consistently eating their full daily diet for nearly a month, according to Shedd officials. This is significant because belugas obtain their hydration from the fish they eat.
The animal care and veterinary teams at Shedd are increasingly becoming familiar with each whale’s personality and the belugas have become more willing to participate in health assessments, including a blood draw for Gimli and an ultrasound for Sierra.
These procedures can reveal valuable information about a whale’s health, such as red blood cell count, signs of a possible infection and even how well the internal organs are working, officials said.
“Each of these developments marks another step in the whales’ adjustment to their new surroundings. There’s still much to learn about their individual health and needs, but we’re encouraged by what we’re seeing with these positive developments,” Shedd said in a statement.
The whales remain under constant observation, as caretakers look for any changes in behavior or appetite that could signal an underlying issue.
Even belugas that appear healthy can take a sudden turn, which is what happened with a rescued Marineland whale transferred to SeaWorld San Diego.
SeaWorld announced that Cyprus, a 9-year-old male, died unexpectedly on Sunday after suddenly refusing food two days prior.
“Cyprus had been doing well since his arrival (in August). He was eating consistently, acclimating to his new environment and interacting with his trainers and animal care team, along with the two other rescued belugas,” SeaWorld said in a statement.
An ultrasound show that his intestinal tract wasn’t functioning normally, and though veterinarians provided immediate medical attention, Cyprus didn’t survive. A full necropsy will be conducted to determine what may have led to his death.
Cyprus is the sixth Marineland beluga to have died since being transferred. Peekachu, Osiris, Rain and Caspian have died at Shedd, and Jelly Bean died at Oceanogràfic València in Spain, along with a rescued dolphin, Echo. In total, 30 belugas and four dolphins were rescued from Marineland.
Marineland, a longstanding tourist attraction in Canada, closed to the public in 2024. Citing a lack of financial resources, Marineland had threatened to euthanize the belugas, which prompted an unprecedented international effort to find new homes for the cetaceans. Shedd is one of five accredited institutions that received the animals.
Contact Patty Wetli: [email protected]
