Marineland belugas that died in Chicago had chronic disease, aquarium says

A beluga whale swims in a tank at Marineland before being moved to an aquarium in the U.S., in what will be the last transfer of whales out of the closed park, ending whale captivity in Canada, in Niagara Falls, Ont., on Monday, Aug. 31, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Carlos Osorio

Two Marineland whales that died weeks after being relocated to a Chicago facility had chronic, pre-existing diseases, Shedd Aquarium said Friday.

The U.S. park, however, stopped short of saying that was the cause of death for Peekachu, a 23-year-old female beluga, and Rain, a 20-year-old female beluga. There is no evidence of any infectious disease, Shedd added.

Shedd, along with four other aquariums, helped Marineland move all 30 of its belugas and four dolphins out of the closed Niagara Falls, Ont., theme park over the course of six weeks this summer. They were the last captive whales and dolphins in Canada.

Marineland had said it was running out of money and could no longer care for its whales. Four belugas and one dolphin have died since being moved.

Shedd recently performed necropsies on Peekachu and Rain as well as Beethoven, a 34-year-old beluga that had lived at the aquarium for decades and died of an age-related illness the same day as Rain.

The necropsies found the Marineland whales had “chronic inflammatory disease within their gastrointestinal systems,” Shedd said in a lengthy statement.

“The inflammation was found to be significant in Peekachu and severe in Rain,” it said.

“The significance of the inflammation, the types of immune cells present and the changes to the mucosa, the inner lining of the intestines, and the structure of the affected tissue all indicate that the disease had likely been present for an extended period,” the statement said.

“These changes develop over time, potentially months or years, indicating that the disease began before the whales arrived at Shedd and compromised their health rendering them more vulnerable and sensitive.”

The aquarium also said it found “bird feathers, sticks and large, porous rocks” inside Peekachu’s stomach and “small flecks of material that may be paint” in Rain’s stomach.

Shedd said it does not believe those foreign objects contributed to their deaths.

Marineland responds

Marineland also agreed that was not the cause of death.

“Belugas are naturally curious animals that investigate and occasionally swallow objects in their environment, both in human care and in the wild, just like the family dog does from time to time,” Marineland said in a statement.

Veterinarians from Marineland, Shedd, SeaWorld and Oceanografic Valencia in Spain visited Marineland for extensive periods to examine the whales and dolphins. Those veterinarians cleared the animals for the move, as did Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson.

Marineland appeared to take issue with parts of Shedd’s statement on Friday.

“Our veterinary and animal care teams successfully cared for Peekachu for 23 years and Rain for 20 years, for every day of their lives with us, in a large outdoor habitat alongside the social group they had always known,” Marineland said.

The Niagara Falls park had two pools for its 30 belugas and each held nearly 40 million litres of water. Shedd’s beluga pool, the Abbott Oceanarium, holds nearly 12 million litres of water.

“This is a complex care situation,” Marineland said. “The whales were rehoused only a few short weeks ago after 20 plus years at Marineland.”

Some of Marineland’s whales have struggled over the years. Nineteen belugas and one killer whale died at the park between 2019 and 2025. The park had not lost a whale for more than a year leading up to the move.

Thompson, the fisheries minister, called the deaths at Shedd “incredibly sad.”

“The results of the necropsy and clinical examinations showed that both beluga whales had foreign objects such as large rocks, and likely paint in their stomachs that predate their time at Shedd — this reveals an unacceptable neglect for their health and well-being prior to their relocation,” Thompson’s office said in a statement.

“This was a rescue mission, aimed at giving the remaining beluga whales the best chance at a safe, healthy life informed by individual health assessments, while recognizing that there were inherent risks involved.”

Marineland said it acknowledges the fisheries department’s concern, “and note that they had no oversight, role, responsibility or expertise in, or for, animal care at Marineland.”

“We are focused on supporting the ongoing care of the rehoused animals and improving their lives, while the process of investigation continues,” it said.

Thompson had nixed a previous deal Marineland had to sell all its whales and dolphins to Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, an aquarium in China.

She said it was not in the best interest of the whales because the country did not have any laws that reflected the spirit of a 2019 federal law that banned whale and dolphin captivity. That law grandfathered in Marineland’s animals, but it forbade breeding and made illegal marine mammal performances.

Marineland then turned to U.S. and Spanish aquariums for help. There are no restrictions on breeding or performing in the whales’ new homes.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 25, 2026.

Liam Casey, The Canadian Press