Canada’s last captive dolphins leave Marineland as one of its belugas dies in Chicago

Canada’s last captive dolphins have left Marineland for a new home in Spain while a beluga recently relocated from the park has died in a Chicago aquarium. Trainers worked over several hours Wednesday morning at the shuttered theme park in Niagara Falls, Ont., to load four dolphins and two belugas into tanks on transport trucks that headed to Toronto Pearson International Airport for the journey to Oceanografic Valencia. Echo, Lida, Marina and Tsunami are the dolphins leaving Marineland on Wednesday, joined by belugas Cleopatra and Jelly Bean.

Moving the animals into tanks went well, with no injuries reported. “The belugas got loaded very easily and very quickly and they were the last beluga females in captivity in Canada,” said Andrew Burns, Marineland’s adviser. “And then loading the dolphins went pretty smoothly.

But staff at both Marineland and Shedd Aquarium in Chicago were devastated over news of the death of Peekachu, a 23-year-old beluga that was shipped to the United States two weeks ago. “Peekachu passed away suddenly Tuesday evening after blood work indicated she was dehydrated and her care team attempted to provide supportive care and fluids,” Shedd spokesperson Johnny Ford wrote in an email. “From the outset, we understood that each rescued whale would arrive with individual health needs and that a fuller picture of their health would emerge through continued assessment and care.

We knew a loss was possible, even as our teams worked and hoped for a different outcome.” Shedd will perform a necropsy to try to better understand what happened and noted that Peekachu showed “early signs of progress as she settled in with the fellow rescued whales.” “Shedd remains guarded but hopeful concerning the condition of the additional rescued belugas, who are still being monitored around the clock,” the spokesperson said. The Chicago park has taken in eight of Marineland’s whales so far. Marineland said in a statement it was “deeply saddened” to learn of Peekachu’s death.

“We remain grateful to Shedd Aquarium for their partnership in the relocation of Marineland’s belugas, and we have full confidence that the whales in their care are receiving the very best attention from a team of thoughtful, dedicated experts,” it said. The six belugas remaining in Marineland – the last captive whales in Canada – are also soon set to go to the United States. Two belugas and four dolphins from Marineland are being moved today to an aquarium in Spain.

This is the fifth move of whales from the shuttered theme park in Niagara Falls, Ont., as it moves all of its animals off the property. Marineland is up for sale and has said it is running out of money and can no longer afford to care for its animals. The park had originally sold all of its 30 belugas and four dolphins to an aquarium in China, but the federal government blocked the move, saying it violated the spirit of a 2019 law.