What to know
- 23-year-old beluga Peekachu died Tuesday at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium, days after being transferred from Marineland in Niagara Falls.
- Shedd Aquarium said blood tests showed signs of dehydration, and Peekachu had been receiving around-the-clock observation and supportive care.
- Peekachu was among 30 beluga whales and four dolphins being transferred from Marineland under an approved emergency rescue plan.
- Animal advocates are questioning whether the animals are receiving thorough enough health assessments before being transported, and are calling for an investigation into Peekachu’s death.
- Advocates say the incident highlights the need for stronger animal welfare regulations and oversight in Ontario, while urging officials to ensure the remaining Marineland animals are transferred safely.
Canadian animal advocates are calling for better regulations and health assessments after a beluga whale died days after being moved from Niagara Falls’ Marineland to a Chicago aquarium facility.
The 23-year-old female beluga named Peekachu died on Tuesday evening at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium. According to a social media post from the aquarium, the whale’s blood samples confirmed she had signs of dehydration and need for supportive care. More information about the circumstances of her death will be revealed later on.
“Since arriving, Peekachu received around-the-clock observation and care as she adjusted to a significant transition,” the aquarium said on Instagram.
“From the outset, we knew a rescue of this scale carried uncertainty. Each whale arrived with individual health needs that would become clearer over time.”
30 animals being moved from Marineland
Peekachu was part of the second group of belugas sent to Shedd Aquarium from Marineland this summer. The group is among a total of 30 whales and four dolphins that are being moved from the Niagara Falls park as part of an approved emergency rescue plan after Marineland reportedly threatened to euthanize the animals unless Canada allowed them to be shipped to the U.S. in January.
The threat came after the federal government blocked a previous Marineland plan to send the belugas to a Chinese aquarium, saying it violated Canada’s captive-whale ban dated back to 2019.
Known for its mammal shows and amusement rides, Marineland closed to the public in 2024 amid controversies of captive animal conditions. The park was previously called out by whistleblowers and animal advocates after registering over 17 whale deaths since 2019.
Read More
Transfer, health conditions could lead to death after transfer
The Marineland rescue plan signed by Minister of Fisheries Joanne Thompson includes a requirement that whales should receive a full health assessment by a Canadian vet before they can be transferred.
However, Animal Justice’s legal advocacy director, Kaitlyn Mitchell says that Peekachu’s death raises concerns over whether these health assessments are being done thoroughly to avoid risks for the animals.
“Transport is incredibly dangerous and stressful for whales, and so if you transport a whale who’s already sick, they’re at very serious risk of getting even more sick or even dying,” she told Now Toronto.
“Our concern here is how is it that Peekachu is represented as healthy enough for transport when it seems that she was suffering from some sort of underlying health problem… That’s a serious failure, and we need to see that failure investigated.”
The advocate acknowledges that Marineland created a “sense of urgency” when it comes to transferring the animals, but urges that the government should carefully carry the transition to avoid similar situations, including treating the animals before shipping them away.
“Marineland is essentially holding a gun to these animals’ heads. We needed the province to intervene, to provide better care for these animals. Animal Welfare Services has the legal authority to go to Marineland, provide care to any animals in distress, and send Marineland the bill,” she added.
Similarly, World Animal Protection Canada Wildlife Campaign Manager, Erin Ryan, suggested that the public should receive a clear account of the circumstances of Peekachu’s transfer and death, not only to determine what happened to her, but to prevent a similar occurrence to other animals that are still being transferred.
“We really should be taking lessons from what we found here and making sure that we’re doing right by the animals that still remain in Marineland, waiting for transfer,” she said.
“Definitely the death of Peekachu can’t be viewed in isolation from really these broad systemic failures, where conditions were deteriorating in Marineland for years, so it’s very possible that these animals weren’t already at their best health.”
‘These animals deserve a dignified retirement’
Since 2019, it is illegal to take whales and dolphins into captivity, as part of the Ending the Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act.
According to both Mitchell and Ryan, these sea animals are highly complex, and keeping them in captivity can lead to physical and social issues.
“In an aquarium, we’re keeping them in a controlled state of deprivation. They can’t swim the hundreds or even thousands of kilometres that they’re used to. They don’t necessarily form natural social groups,” Ryan said.
“The fact that Marineland amassed so many of them was just frankly irresponsible to the point where now multiple facilities across multiple countries are needed to appropriately accommodate them.”
With over 30 animals in the process of being transferred from Marineland, the advocates say it’s important Canada makes sure they can be moved safely.
“It should be shocking to everyone that we were still [keeping them captive] in 2025. But we were, so we owe it to these animals to make sure that they don’t die stressful and painful and avoidable deaths,” Ryan said.
“I really want to see that Ontario learns from this tragedy and the broader failures of Marineland, and that the province really needs comprehensive zoo regulations that prevent problems before they become crises…This really emphasizes that these animals deserve a dignified retirement.”
