Overview
- Jelly Bean, a 19-year-old beluga moved from Marineland, died suddenly on Friday at Oceanogràfic de València less than a month after arriving and after a period of feeding difficulties.
- Two rescued belugas that arrived at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium also died within weeks of transfer—Peekachu on Aug. 25 and Rain on Sept. 2—and a resident Shedd beluga, Beethoven, died on Sept. 2.
- Oceanogràfic said its veterinarians will perform a necropsy with university pathologists and Shedd has opened investigations while Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson said Canada issued CITES permits and Fisheries Act authorizations after individual health reviews.
- Animal-welfare groups and marine mammal scientists say transport and separation are highly stressful and may have weakened animals, and they are calling for independent assessments and full disclosure of pre-transfer health reports.
- Marineland closed after financial trouble and faced threats to euthanize its whales, leading to emergency relocations of about 30 belugas and four dolphins to five aquariums; the recent deaths could prompt tighter scrutiny of relocation practices and permitting.