A third beluga whale has died at a Chicago aquarium after being rescued from a shuttered Canadian marine park — marking the fourth Great White North rescue to die.
Osiris, a 26-year-old female, started experiencing “behavior and respiratory patterns” Monday morning at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago when staff moved her to a medical tent, the aquarium said in a statement.
Her condition deteriorated quickly before the beluga’s death, despite “lifesaving efforts” from the aquarium’s veterinary and animal care teams.
The whale’s cause of death is not yet known and a full necropsy will be conducted.
Osiris was one of 10 whales rescued from the defunct Marineland of Canada aquarium and theme park in July and transported to the Windy City.
The health of the relocated belugas have been monitored “minute-by-minute” since arriving in Chicago in custom-made slings and temperature-controlled containers, according to aquarium staff.
“From the time she arrived, Osiris remained a whale of clinical concern for our veterinary and animal care teams,” the aquarium said.
She “experienced periods of meaningful progress, both nutritionally and socially” but did not eat as consistently as her fellow animals which complicated efforts after arriving in July.
The whale’s health and appetite saw “encouraging signs” after receiving fluids, medications and other supportive care and she began interacting with the other rescued whales more — and showed off her “commanding personality.”
However, “nutrition is only one measure of health,” the aquarium said.
Shedd Aquarium took in 10 of the 30 belugas and four dolphins left stranded at Marineland after the Ontario park closed in 2024 — setting off a massive effort to save the sea canaries from being euthanized.
Since 2019, A total of 20 whales have died at the Ontario park, according to provincial government data obtained through freedom of information law requests and official statements.
Two other Marineland whales, Peekachu and Rain, also died at Shedd Aquarium after arriving from Canada.
Another rescued beluga from Canada, Jelly Roll, passed away after being relocated to Spain.
Studies suggest beluga whales have an average lifespan of 30 to 35 years, according to Seaworld.
“When Shedd was asked to help with this rescue, we understood that these animals arrived with significant vulnerabilities and that the outcome for every individual could not be guaranteed,” the aquarium said. “That uncertainty does not lessen the heartbreak of Osiris’s loss, or our responsibility to examine it with scientific rigor and open-hearted transparency.
“Though Osiris was with us for far less time than we had hoped, her care was never measured by its length.”
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