Another beluga whale relocated from the now-closed Marineland theme park in Niagara Falls, Ontario, has died at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium, marking the latest loss in an international effort to find new homes for Canada’s remaining captive whales. Caspian, a 27-year-old female beluga, died on Wednesday after her health deteriorated despite extensive efforts by the aquarium’s veterinary and animal care teams. She was among the whales transferred from Marineland to the Chicago facility in August as part of a relocation programme involving several aquariums in North America and Europe. According to Shedd Aquarium, staff had been closely monitoring Caspian for several weeks because she was not eating enough to meet her nutritional and hydration needs. Care teams adjusted her treatment and monitored her condition in the hope that her health would improve. However, her condition worsened on Wednesday. Veterinarians and animal care specialists worked for nearly four hours to save her, providing breathing support, fluids and medication while attempting to stabilise her condition. Despite those efforts, Caspian did not recover. Blood samples collected during the emergency treatment revealed abnormalities in her electrolyte levels and blood pH. Her blood had become dangerously acidic, a serious condition that can interfere with the body’s normal functions, including the heart’s ability to work effectively. Although the findings helped veterinarians understand the severity of Caspian’s condition, they did not establish the underlying cause of her death. The aquarium has scheduled a necropsy, an animal autopsy, to examine her organs and tissues and determine whether further evidence can explain what happened. Caspian’s death is part of a growing number of losses among the belugas relocated from Marineland. She is the fourth beluga transferred from the Canadian attraction to die at Shedd Aquarium since the relocation programme began. The other three were Peekachu, Rain and Osiris. Another beluga, Beethoven, a longtime resident of Shedd Aquarium who was not part of the Marineland relocation, also died in September. The deaths have raised renewed questions about the health of the animals before they were moved and the challenges involved in transporting large marine mammals over long distances. Animal welfare advocates have called for greater scrutiny of the circumstances surrounding the transfers. Preliminary and subsequent necropsy findings for Peekachu and Rain identified significant chronic inflammatory disease in their gastrointestinal systems. Peekachu’s examination also found other longstanding health problems, while Rain’s results indicated severe intestinal inflammation and additional liver and respiratory issues. Preliminary findings for Osiris identified chronic liver disease. Shedd Aquarium has said the whales arrived with complex medical histories and that veterinary teams worked with their previous caregivers to prepare for their arrival. However, some underlying conditions can be difficult to identify fully before an animal’s health deteriorates. The aquarium has also said that findings from the examinations completed so far have not established a communicable disease linking the deaths. Further testing and investigations are being conducted to understand the animals’ health conditions. Caspian was among 30 beluga whales and four dolphins relocated from Marineland over approximately six weeks during the summer. The receiving facilities included several accredited aquariums in the United States and Oceanogràfic in Valencia, Spain. The relocation became urgent after Marineland, which closed to the public in 2024, said it was running out of money to care for its remaining whales and dolphins. The park warned that it might have to euthanise the animals if suitable facilities could not be found. Canadian authorities subsequently approved a plan to move the animals to other institutions. The transfers were intended to secure continued care for the animals, but the deaths have complicated the effort. A beluga named Jelly Bean and a dolphin named Echo also died after being moved to the aquarium in Valencia. Animal welfare advocates have questioned whether some of the whales were healthy enough to withstand the stress of transportation and adjustment to new environments. However, the precise contribution of transportation, pre-existing illnesses and other factors to each death has not been established. Shedd Aquarium says the six remaining belugas from Marineland at its facility continue to receive close monitoring and specialised care. The aquarium has reported encouraging progress among the surviving animals, including improvements in eating and participation in routine care activities. The latest death has renewed attention on the long-term welfare of marine mammals kept in captivity and the challenges of relocating animals that have spent many years in managed environments. As investigations continue, veterinarians are expected to examine Caspian’s remains in greater detail to determine whether her death can be linked to an underlying disease or other health complications. The findings could also help caregivers better understand the medical needs of the remaining whales. For now, the circumstances surrounding Caspian’s death remain under investigation, while the facilities caring for the relocated animals continue working to protect their health and support their adjustment to new surroundings.