Third rescued beluga from closed Marineland dies at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium
A 26-year-old beluga named Osiris died at the Shedd Aquarium after being moved from the shuttered Marineland in Ontario, marking the third such death from that rescue group.
Osiris, a 26-year-old female beluga classified as “clinical concern,” passed away at the Shedd Aquarium after being rescued from the closed Marineland aquarium in Ontario, Canada. Her condition had been closely monitored since her arrival in late July, showing intermittent gains in nutrition and social interaction, but she struggled with consistent feeding. On Monday her respiratory patterns changed abruptly, leading to a rapid decline and death.
Osiris is the third Marineland-origin beluga to die at the Shedd, following Peekachu (23) on Aug. 25 and Rain (20) on Sept. 2, and the fourth overall from the former park, with another rescued whale, Jelly Bean, dying in Valencia, Spain. Both the Shedd and Oceanogràfic Valencia are investigating the causes, while animal-rights advocate Lori Marino has questioned the decision to transport potentially sick whales. The Shedd noted the rescue involved animals with significant vulnerabilities and committed to transparent scientific scrutiny.
