Two Weeks After Move, Beluga Whale Dies

It was supposed to be the start of a healthy new life for a beluga whale named Peekachu. Instead, Chicago's Shedd Aquarium has announced that the 23-year-old whale died unexpectedly on Tuesday, two weeks after being transferred hundreds of miles from a shuttered aquarium in Canada, reports WGN. It's not yet clear what happened. Shedd said Peekachu, who was blind in one eye, initially seemed to be doing OK at first adapting to her new home. But when she stopped consistently finishing her food, blood tests Tuesday morning showed she was dehydrated and needed treatment. The whale died suddenly as staff administered fluids and medication later that night.

A pending necropsy may provide more details. Peekachu was one of eight whales moved from Marineland in Ontario, which closed to spectators in 2024, to Shedd over the course of July and August. The AP notes that 20 whales—19 of them belugas—have died at the Ontario aquarium since 2019. "Losing any animal is immensely difficult," said a statement from Shedd. "We cannot emphasize enough that rescue is a step-by-step process for these whales," said the statement, adding that "we remain guarded but hopeful" about the remaining whales moved from Marineland.