A third beluga whale has died at a Chicago aquarium after being rescued from a closed Canadian marine park, becoming the fourth whale from the Great White North rescue effort to perish.
Osiris, a 26-year-old female beluga, began displaying concerning “behavior and respiratory patterns” Monday morning at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium. Staff moved her to a medical tent for treatment, the aquarium said.
Her condition worsened rapidly, and she died despite lifesaving efforts by Shedd’s veterinary and animal care teams.
The cause of Osiris’ death remains unknown. A full necropsy will be carried out.
Osiris was among 10 beluga whales rescued in July from the defunct Marineland of Canada aquarium and theme park before being transported to Chicago.
Since their arrival, the relocated belugas have been monitored “minute-by-minute,” according to Shedd Aquarium staff. The whales were transported in custom-made slings and temperature-controlled containers.
“From the time she arrived, Osiris remained a whale of clinical concern for our veterinary and animal care teams,” the aquarium said.
Osiris showed “periods of meaningful progress, both nutritionally and socially,” but she ate less consistently than the other rescued whales, complicating her care after the group arrived in July.
After receiving fluids, medication and other supportive treatment, Osiris showed “encouraging signs” in both her health and appetite. She also began interacting more with the other rescued belugas and displayed what the aquarium described as her “commanding personality.”
Still, “nutrition is only one measure of health,” Shedd Aquarium said.
Shedd accepted 10 of the 30 belugas and four dolphins left at Marineland after the Ontario park shut down in 2024. Their rescue launched a major effort to prevent the stranded marine mammals from being euthanized.
Since 2019, 20 whales have died at the Ontario facility, according to provincial government data obtained through freedom-of-information requests and official statements.
Two other belugas from Marineland, Peekachu and Rain, also died after being brought to Shedd Aquarium.
Jelly Roll, another beluga rescued from Canada, died after being relocated to Spain.
Beluga whales typically live between 30 and 35 years, according to SeaWorld.
“When Shedd was asked to help with this rescue, we understood that these animals arrived with significant vulnerabilities and that the outcome for every individual could not be guaranteed,” the aquarium said. “That uncertainty does not lessen the heartbreak of Osiris’s loss, or our responsibility to examine it with scientific rigor and open-hearted transparency.
“Though Osiris was with us for far less time than we had hoped, her care was never measured by its length.”
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