Peekachu, a female beluga that was recently transferred from Marineland in Niagara Falls, Ontario to the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, has passed away, the Shedd Aquarium announced on Wednesday. This sad event occurred on the same day when two other belugas and four dolphins were being moved to Spain. Peekachu, who was 23 years old and one of eight belugas relocated to Shedd a couple of weeks ago, was described as a special whale by the aquarium due to her involvement in an ongoing international rescue mission that started a month ago.
Despite being blind in one eye and one of the smaller whales, Peekachu was noted for her ability to socialize and adapt to her new environment, as mentioned in a blog post. Initially showing signs of improvement by consuming squid, herring, and capelin provided by caretakers, Peekachu later exhibited a decline in appetite and was diagnosed as dehydrated following a blood test. Despite efforts to administer medication and fluids, Peekachu unexpectedly passed away on Tuesday evening, with a necropsy underway to determine the cause.
The Shedd Aquarium expressed sorrow over Peekachu’s death, emphasizing that the remaining whales from Marineland are being well cared for at their facility. Federal Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson conveyed her condolences, acknowledging the challenging situation and expressing gratitude to the organizations involved in the rescue efforts.
Animal advocates highlighted the departure of four dolphins from Marineland to Spain, marking the end of Canada’s captive dolphin population. Concerns were raised about the health risks associated with relocating the belugas, with reports of previous deaths among the transported whales. Despite ongoing criticisms, Marineland proceeded with the transfers, citing financial constraints and the need to find suitable homes for the animals in other facilities.
The remaining six belugas at Marineland are scheduled for relocation to the United States, as part of the park’s initiative to transfer all its marine mammals due to financial pressures and regulatory restrictions on captive marine animal practices. Previous attempts to relocate the animals to China were thwarted by Canadian authorities, resulting in the current efforts to find alternative placements for the belugas and dolphins in other international aquariums.