Shedd Aquarium says necropsies on two relocated belugas found chronic gastrointestinal inflammation likely present before the move, with no evidence of an infectious disease.
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Two beluga whales relocated from Marineland in Niagara Falls to the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago died weeks after the transfer, and Shedd says necropsies found signs of chronic disease that likely began before the animals arrived.
In a statement issued Friday, Shedd said the deaths involved Peekachu, a 23-year-old female beluga, and Rain, a 20-year-old female beluga. The aquarium said there was no evidence of an infectious disease in association with their deaths. It stopped short of saying the chronic illness was the definitive cause of death for the two animals, but described findings that indicate the condition had been developing for some time.
Shedd reported that necropsies showed “chronic inflammatory disease within their gastrointestinal systems,” with the inflammation “significant” in Peekachu and “severe” in Rain. The aquarium said the changes observed in the whales’ intestinal lining and affected tissue, along with the types of immune cells present, suggest the disease had likely been present for an extended period, potentially months or years, before the whales were rehoused at Shedd. According to Shedd, this timing would have compromised the animals’ health and left them more vulnerable.
Shedd also disclosed additional findings from the stomach contents of the two belugas. For Peekachu, it said it found “bird feathers, sticks and large, porous rocks” inside her stomach. For Rain, Shedd said it found small flecks of material that “may be paint.” Shedd said it does not believe those foreign objects contributed to the deaths.
The Shedd statement comes in the context of a transfer involving the last captive whales and dolphins in Canada. Marineland agreed to move its remaining marine mammals after the Niagara Falls park said it was running out of money and could no longer care for its whales. Shedd, along with four other aquariums, helped relocate 30 belugas and four dolphins out of the closed Marineland over a six-week period in the summer, according to Shedd’s account.
Four belugas have died since being moved, including Peekachu and Rain. Shedd also performed necropsies on Beethoven, a 34-year-old beluga that had lived at the aquarium for decades and died of what Shedd described as an age-related illness on the same day Rain died.
Before the moves, Shedd said veterinarians from Marineland, Shedd, SeaWorld and Oceanografic Valencia in Spain visited Marineland for extended periods to examine the whales and dolphins. Shedd said those veterinarians cleared the animals for the relocation, as did Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson.
The necropsy findings were not immediately accepted by Marineland. In a statement responding to Shedd, Marineland said its veterinary and animal care teams “successfully cared for Peekachu for 23 years and Rain for 20 years,” including keeping them in a large outdoor habitat with their social group. Marineland also characterized the situation as complex, noting that the whales were rehoused only weeks after spending more than two decades at Marineland.
Marineland’s comments also addressed the presence of foreign objects in stomach contents. Marineland said it acknowledges concerns from the fisheries department, while stating that the department had “no oversight, role, responsibility or expertise” in animal care at Marineland. The park said it is focused on supporting ongoing care for the rehoused animals and improving their lives while investigations continue.
On the foreign object issue, Marineland argued that belugas naturally investigate and may swallow objects in human care and in the wild. It compared the behavior to how a family dog sometimes swallows items in its environment.
The Shedd statement also described water capacity and the scale of the rehousing. Marineland had two pools for its 30 belugas, each holding nearly 40 million litres of water, while Shedd’s beluga pool, the Abbott Oceanarium, holds nearly 12 million litres.
Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson, whose office did not provide a final cause of death, called the deaths “incredibly sad.” Her office said the necropsy and clinical examinations indicated the belugas had foreign objects, including large rocks and likely paint in their stomachs that predate their time at Shedd, which it said reveals unacceptable neglect prior to relocation. The minister’s office described the move as a rescue mission intended to give the remaining belugas the best chance for a safe and healthy life based on individual health assessments, while acknowledging there were inherent risks involved.
Thompson had also previously blocked an earlier plan for Marineland to sell its whales and dolphins to a Chinese aquarium. She said in that instance it was not in the whales’ best interests because China did not have laws reflecting the intent of a 2019 federal law that banned whale and dolphin captivity. That law grandfathered existing captive animals, but forbade breeding and made illegal marine mammal performances. According to the information provided, there are no restrictions on breeding or performing in the whales’ new homes.
The deaths in Chicago add to a difficult history for the Marineland population. Between 2019 and 2025, the park reported the deaths of 19 belugas and one killer whale. Shedd’s statement notes the necropsies conducted after the relocations, and the ongoing care and health monitoring of the remaining rehoused animals continues to be central as the investigation proceeds.
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