Two more beluga whales have died at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium, officials announced Wednesday. One of the deceased whales, Rain, a 20-year-old female, had been moved to the Chicago facility in mid-August from a defunct water park in Ontario, Canada, as part of an international effort to rescue the country's last captive whales.
Rain was the second whale from this group of four to die. Another whale named Peekachu died last week while caretakers were attempting to revitalize it. The third whale to die, a 34-year-old male named Beethoven, had been a resident of the Shedd Aquarium for decades.
The aquarium has not yet determined the cause of the deaths, stating that necropsies, blood tests, and additional exams are underway. "These deaths were unexpected and there is still much we do not know about what led to them," officials said in a statement.
Shedd Aquarium is participating in a mission to rescue 30 beluga whales and four dolphins from Marineland, a water park in Ontario that closed years ago and lost the ability to care for its animals. The Chicago aquarium welcomed the final two of its 10 beluga whales for this mission, Gimli and Yukon, from the Canadian park on Tuesday.
According to provincial government data obtained through freedom-of-information laws and official statements, 20 whales, including 19 belugas and one killer whale, had died at Marineland since 2019.
Officials at Shedd Aquarium had previously described the transfer of the beluga whales as a complex and meticulously monitored process, involving custom slings and temperature-controlled containers. The whales' health and behavior have been under minute-to-minute observation since their arrival.
Canadian Minister of Fisheries Joanne Thompson expressed sadness regarding Rain's death and stated that the Canadian government "has taken reasonable steps to ensure the safe rescue of the whales." She added, "My thoughts are with the care staff who worked tirelessly to support Rain and the other belugas."
Other aquariums and facilities involved in the rescue effort include Georgia Aquarium, SeaWorld locations in San Diego and San Antonio, and Oceanogràfic Valencia in Spain.