Osiris was the fourth Beluga death following relocation from Marineland, and the third at the Shedd Aquarium. Photo: Shedd Aquarium
The ongoing saga at Marineland has resulted in yet another whale death. This week, a 26-year-old rescued female beluga whale named Osiris died after being relocated to Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium.
Marineland, a defunct theme park located on the Canadian side of Niagara falls, spent years trying to figure out what to do with its captive marine mammal population, which had been stuck in the park since it closed in 2024. After an attempted sale to a Chinese theme park was blocked by the Canadian government, the park even threatened to euthanize all of the animals, but ultimately reached an agreement with the Canadian government to relocate the whales to a collection of U.S. aquariums in Georgia, Chicago, San Diego and San Antonio, and the Oceanogràfic València aquarium in Spain.
Though the relocations themselves went smoothly, there have been a host of whale deaths afterwards. The first was 23-year-old female beluga whale Peekachu, followed by Rain, a 20-year-old female – both of whom were housed at the Shedd aquarium. Just last week, a Marineland whale named Jelly Bean died at the Oceanogràfic Valencia.
As the aquarium explained in a statement, Osiris’ health was a concern from the moment she arrived in Chicago. “Each rescued beluga came to Shedd with a distinct life history and health needs that could not be fully understood before their arrival,” the aquarium wrote. “Osiris experienced periods of meaningful progress, both nutritionally and socially, but her overall condition remained closely monitored.”
Aquarium officials went on to describe how ensuring the whale received the calories, nutrients, and electrolytes she needed each day was initially difficult, due to the fact that Osiris was not eating consistently. However, the whale seemed to rebound after receiving fluids, medication, and other supportive care. “We also saw her commanding personality emerge and become more engaged with the other rescued whales,” the aquarium wrote.
However, the hope was short-lived. On the morning of September 21, the whale’s care team noticed changes in Osiris’ behavior and respiratory patterns. She was moved to a medical habitat, but her condition declined rapidly and she passed away despite lifesaving efforts. The exact cause of death is as yet unknown, but a full necropsy will be conducted in order to discover what contributed to Osiris’ passing.
“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,” wrote the aquarium. “That uncertainty does not lessen the heartbreak of Osiris’ loss, or our responsibility to examine it with scientific rigor and open-hearted transparency.”
