4 of 6 belugas shipped from Marineland arrive safely at Chicago aquarium

Four of the six beluga whales shipped out of Marineland in Niagara Falls, Ont., on Wednesday arrived safely at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago Thursday morning.

The four females will soon join four other belugas shipped to the aquarium from Marineland in July, when the first of three whale transfers took place.

A team of specialized workers at the shuttered tourist attraction in Niagara guided six belugas into a custom sling one by one before hoisting them into tanks on Wednesday.

The whales were escorted by police to Toronto’s Pearson airport. The two males then flew to Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, while the females went to Chicago.

Those females are now in Shedd’s 11.3-million litre Abbott Oceanarium, where they will be kept out of view of guests as they settle into their new surroundings, the aquarium said in a news release Thursday.

“This is a big transition, so we are taking this process hour-by-hour and day-by-day, at the whales’ pace,” director of animal behaviour and training Charlie Jacobsma said in the release.

“Through our constant observations, we learn more about each individual, their personality and progress along the way.”

The new arrivals included 27-year-old Caspian, described as having a “big personality”; 23-year-old Peekachu, who is “energetic and confident” with a non-functioning right eye; 20-year-old Rain, with a unique forehead; and 22-year-old Secord, known for her long upper jaw who likes to push enrichment items around.

The new arrivals will soon be reunited with the other four belugas from Marineland — Acadia, Osiris, Sierra and Lillooet — with whom they share important social bonds, Shedd said.

“Belugas often live in large groups in close proximity to one another as they swim, hunt and socialize,” said Jacobsma. “Belugas take their cues from one another, so having familiar whales nearby bolsters confidence in the new arrivals as they explore new habitats, replenish nutrients from the journey and investigate new caretakers.” 

The aquarium’s animal care team will watch the eight whales around the clock, monitoring their food intake and how frequently they surface to breathe. Early indications suggest the rescues are going well, Shedd said.

Shedd said it’s committed to rescuing up to two more of the belugas from Marineland.

Marineland closed its doors to the public in 2024, with the park and its sprawling property up for sale.

The park has said it is running out of money and can no longer care for the whales.

Before it began shipping the whales to the United States last month, the park had 30 belugas and four dolphins — the last captive whales and dolphins in Canada.

The first move on July 20 saw six belugas head to new homes at Shedd and SeaWorld in San Antonio. Weeks later, another seven belugas were transferred to the San Antonio attraction.

The complex operation, which Marineland has called “unprecedented,” is the whales’ only shot at survival.

WATCH | First whales arrive in the U.S.:

1st whales from Marineland arrive at U.S. aquariums

The first six beluga whales rescued from Marineland in Niagara Falls, Ont., have arrived at their new homes in aquariums in the U.S. Veterinarians remain hopeful about the whales’ health despite the stress of the move.

The park struck a deal last year to sell all 30 belugas to a massive aquarium in China, but the fisheries minister blocked the sale, deeming it not in the best interest of the animals.

In response, Marineland said it would euthanize all the whales if it didn’t receive emergency funding from the federal government, a threat that made international headlines.

Ottawa later approved another deal with a consortium of American and Spanish aquariums, which helped orchestrate the series of moves currently underway.

SeaWorld in San Diego and Oceanografic Valencia in Spain are also expected to welcome some of Marineland’s whales or dolphins.

If, for some reason, the whales are not moved, they will be euthanized.

After Wednesday’s move, 11 belugas and four dolphins will remain.

Marineland has said it hopes to have all the whales gone by the end of the month.

In a statement to the CBC on Thursday, Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson said “another group of belugas have safely left Marineland and arrived at Shedd Aquarium and Georgia Aquarium. Six more whales were relocated in this rescue.”

Thompson said thanks to “the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Canada’s Accredited Zoos and Aquariums, the receiving facilities, and everyone whose dedication helped make this possible.”