20% of the beluga whales dead as the toll mounts
Oct. 18: Cyprus, age 9, male beluga whale at SeaWorld, San Diego
Oct. 14: Caspian, age 27, female beluga whale at Shedd Aquarium, Chicago
Sep. 23: Echo, age 30, female dolphin, at Oceanografic de Valencia, Spain
Sep. 21: Osiris, age 26, female beluga whale at Shedd Aquarium, Chicago
Sep. 17: Jelly Bean, age 19, male beluga whale, at Oceanografic de Valencia, Spain
Sep. 2 : Rain, age 20, female beluga whale at Shedd Aquarium, Chicago
Sep. 2 : Beethoven, a 34-year-old resident at Shedd Aquarium, dies the same day as Rain
Aug 25: Peekachu, age 23, female beluga whale, at Shedd Aquarium, Chicago
We began this timeline on July 20th, 2026 (bottom of this page), when the first group of beluga whales and dolphins left Marineland Canada. The last of them left on September 1st. By then, the first death had already occurred. We continue to enter these updates as news comes in as to how the rest are faring:
Oct. 26: In a cogent editorial, The Winnipeg Sun writes: “In 2019, Parliament made it a crime to keep or breed whales and dolphins in captivity, and it drew applause. What it never did was plan for the dozens of animals already in tanks. No sanctuary was built. No money was set aside. A private company with falling revenue and little reason to invest was left to care for them … Legislating an outcome while refusing to own the consequences is not policy. It is posturing.”
Oct. 24: Canada’s national CBC radio/TV questions “about the impact of the transfers on their health and well-being and whether they were fit to travel.”
Oct. 18: SeaWorld San Diego announces that Cyprus, a 9-year-old juvenile beluga whale, has died.
Oct. 13: Oceanografic de Valencia in Spain releases results of necropsies of dolphin Echo and beluga whale Jelly Bean. “In Jelly Bean, the main findings have been located in the heart, thyroid and adrenal glands, while in Echo they are concentrated in the nervous tissue and point to an infectious process.”
Oct. 7: Shedd Aquarium in Chicago reports the death of Caspian. The aquarium also discloses findings regarding Peekachu and Rain, identifying “significant, longstanding inflammation in their digestive systems.”
Sept. 25: Shedd Aquarium reports that its veterinarians, “working alongside external veterinary pathologists and academic clinical specialists, have identified significant, chronic gastrointestinal disease in Peekachu and Rain and age-associated health changes in Beethoven.”
Sept. 24: Oceanografic de Valencia reports that the dolphin Echo has died: “Echo began experiencing difficulties swallowing and respiratory problems. … Her condition deteriorated rapidly … and she passed away overnight.”
Sept. 21: Shedd Aquarium reports that 26-year-old female beluga Osiris has died. The aquarium notes that “Each rescued beluga came to Shedd with a distinct life history and health needs that could not be fully understood before their arrival.”
Sept. 17: Oceanografic de Valencia announces that 19-year-old Jelly Bean, one of the two beluga whales who came there from Marineland Canada, has died.
Sept. 6: From Shedd Aquarium: None of the belugas are “where we want them to be from a health standpoint.”
Sept. 2: Shedd Aquarium reports that two more beluga whales have died: 20-year-old Rain and 34-year-old Beethoven. Beethoven was a long-term resident at Shedd, so it is unclear whether his passing is related to the arrival of beluga whales from Marineland.
Sept. 1: The last six surviving beluga whales have left Marineland. They are all males. 8-year-old Yukon and 7-year-old Gimli are destined for the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. Tank (age 15), Odin (18), Orion (28) and Tofino (25) are going to SeaWorld San Antonio. Orion and Tofino were captured in the Sea of Okhotsk, off the east coast of Russia; the other four were born at Marineland. (More of Tofino’s history is here. And more of Orion’s is here, but be advised that it is very disturbing.)
Aug. 26: Shedd Aquarium announces that 23-year-old Peekachu has died.
Aug. 26: The four surviving dolphins – Echo, Lida, Marina and Tsunami, all female, approx. 30 years old – leave Marineland Canada, headed for Oceanografic de Valencia in Spain. They had been captured in the Black Sea off the coast of Russia in 2000 and 2001.
Also departing for Oceanografic de Valencia are beluga whales Cleopatra, captured from Russian waters in 2003, and 19-year-old Jelly Bean, born at Marineland.
Aug. 22: Three male beluga whales born at Marineland Canada are transferred to SeaWorld San Diego: 14-year-old Xavier and juveniles Jasper (10) and Cyprus (9).
Aug. 15: Jason Jones, senior curator of animal well-being at Georgia Aquarium, tells The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Zephyr and Balor are “integrating already with the females.” The aquarium, which had no females in its collection, has declined to confirm that it will observe Canadian law, which bans the breeding of whales and dolphins.
Aug. 12: Six more beluga whales leave Marineland 10-year-old Zephyr and six-year-old Balor, both males born at Marineland, are headed for the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta. Four females – Caspian (27 years old), Peekachu (23), Secord (23) and Rain (20) – all captured in the ocean off the east coast of Russia, are going to Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.
Aug. 3: Seven more beluga whales are shipped from Marineland to SeaWorld San Antonio: Xena (33 years old), Gemini (32), Skyla (24) and Meeka (21) had been captured off the east coast of Russia; Eve (18), Neva (17) and Calypso (8) were born at Marineland. (More of Skyla’s history is here. Be advised that it is deeply troubling.)
July 31: SeaWorld San Antonio confirms that 14-year-old Frankie and 6-year-old Bertie Botts, both born at Marineland, are settling in. “They are doing fantastic,” reports Katie McCullough, curator of animal husbandry.
July 28: Todd Roebeck, vice president for conservation and animal health at SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment, tells The New York Times that the whales were found to be in good health.
July 22: Shedd Aquarium confirms arrival of Acadia (27 years old); Osiris (26); Sierra (26); and Lillooet (21). All four had captured in the ocean off the east coast of Russia.
July 20: This timeline begins as the first six of the 30 surviving beluga whales leave Marineland Canada. Four will go to Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, and two to SeaWorld San Antonio.
(Ages of whales courtesy of Cetabase.)