CALGARY — Three beluga whales have died at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium within the span of eight days, including two whales that died on Wednesday.Shedd Aquarium announced Wednesday that Rain, a 20-year-old female beluga recently transferred from Marineland in Niagara Falls, Ontario, and Beethoven, a 34-year-old male who had lived at Shedd for decades, had both died despite efforts by animal-care and veterinary teams.The deaths came one week after Peekachu, a 23-year-old female beluga transferred from Marineland, died at the aquarium.Shedd said the causes of the three deaths remain unknown and that necropsies, blood tests and additional examinations are underway.“Losing any animal is extraordinarily difficult. Losing Beethoven and Rain so soon after Peekachu carries a profound weight for the people who knew and cared for them,” Shedd said in a statement..Rain arrived at Shedd in August as part of an international effort to relocate belugas from Marineland, which closed in 2024. She was one of four whales transported to Chicago on Aug. 13.Peekachu arrived with Rain and the other three belugas and died Aug. 26. Shedd previously said Peekachu had not been consistently eating her full diet and had shown signs of dehydration before her death.The deaths occurred as Shedd completed its portion of the broader rescue operation involving Marineland’s remaining belugas.The aquarium accepted 10 belugas from Marineland, with the final two, Yukon and Gimli, arriving Tuesday. Shedd had previously housed eight belugas, meaning the aquarium was expected to have 18 belugas following the final transfer.Shedd’s Abbott Oceanarium is a 3-million-gallon facility made up of six interconnected habitats. The aquarium has said the different habitats can be configured in multiple ways to give the whales flexibility in their social groupings and movement..The aquarium has also said its animal-care teams are monitoring the rescued whales around the clock as they adjust to their new surroundings.Shedd said it is not yet known whether the three deaths are connected.“Caring responsibly for these animals also means allowing the evidence to guide our understanding rather than drawing conclusions too early,” the aquarium said.The international relocation effort was launched after Marineland sought help finding new homes for its belugas. Shedd was among several accredited aquariums involved in the effort to relocate 30 belugas and four dolphins from the closed Ontario facility.The investigation into the deaths remains ongoing, with Shedd saying it will provide additional information as veterinary examinations and necropsies are completed.
