Four beluga whales from Marineland arrive at Shedd Aquarium

Four beluga whales rescued from the shuttered Marineland of Canada in Ontario have arrived at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium, marking the first successful transfer in an unprecedented international operation to save 30 stranded marine mammals. The whales, which had faced potential euthanasia, were transported on July 20 and arrived in Chicago in the early hours of July 21.

The four female whales, identified as Acadia (27), Osiris (26), Sierra (26), and Lillooet (21), were moved as a bonded subpod. They were carefully lifted from their old tank using a specialized stretcher and crane, placed into water-filled transport containers, and moved via truck and plane under the supervision of veterinarians and staff. Officials described the complex relocation, which involved more than two dozen workers, as proceeding smoothly with no major issues.

This rescue is the result of a plan endorsed last month by Canadian authorities after the park's request to export the whales to an aquarium in China was denied. With Marineland closed since 2024 and its funds dwindling, the whales' future was uncertain. Because the animals were born or raised in captivity, they cannot survive in the wild, making...