4 Beluga Whales Rescued From Shuttered Marine Park Arrive At Shedd Aquarium

CHICAGO — Four rescued beluga whales have arrived safely at the Shedd Aquarium as part of an urgent and coordinated international effort to rehome a pod of 30 belugas living at a closed marine park in Canada that can no longer support their care, the Shedd announced Tuesday.

The newcomers to the Shedd are all females and were chosen to move together because of their existing bonds. They include Acadia, Osiris, Sierra and Lillooet, and their estimated ages range from 21-27, according to the aquarium.

Veterinarians specializing in marine mammal medicine were among those accompanying the belugas from Marineland of Canada in Ontario to Chicago, with the whales traveling by truck and plane in water-filled containers.

“We are watching closely for the rescued belugas to eat a full diet, socialize with one another, and investigate the habitat, which are encouraging signs of their progress,” Charlie Jacobsma, director of animal behavior and training at the Shedd, said in a news release.

“We are cautiously optimistic as we start to see some of those initial indicators, and our dedicated team will continue to monitor throughout this process to acclimatize the belugas to their new home, caretakers and pod.”

The rescued belugas are not viewable to the public.

The Shedd is prepared to rescue up to 10 belugas from Marineland and rehome them at its 3-million-gallon coldwater Abbott Oceanarium. The closed Canadian park has been cited by the government for animal welfare concerns and is no longer willing or financially able to care for the whales, according to the Shedd, which added that Marineland threatened that the animals would be euthanized if longterm solutions were not found.

Other organizations participating in the rehoming effort include SeaWorld San Antonio, Georgia Aquarium, SeaWorld San Diego and Oceanografic Valencia in Spain, pending government approvals.