Second beluga whale rescued from Marineland dies at Chicago aquarium

Rain, a 20-year-old female, arrived at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago several weeks ago as part of an international rescue effort

Published Sep 04, 2026  •  2 minute read

Rain, a 20-year-old female beluga whale who arrived to the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago several weeks ago from Marineland, has died. Photo by Handout /Shedd Aquarium

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A second beluga whale has died at a Chicago aquarium after being transported from Marineland last month.

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The Shedd Aquarium announced the death of Rain, a 20-year-old female who arrived several weeks ago, on Wednesday.

Late last month, Peekachu, a 23-year-old female beluga rescued from the shuttered Niagara Falls theme park, also passed away.

“Losing any animal is extraordinarily difficult,” Andrew Pulver, vice president of animal care at the aquarium, said in an update.

“Losing Beethoven (a 34-year-old male who called the Chicago aquarium home for more than three decades) and Rain so soon after Peekachu carries a profound weight for the people who knew and cared for them.”

International rescue effort

Pulver said Rain arrived several weeks ago along with Peekachu as part of an international rescue effort of 30 belugas and four dolphins.

“Rain could be recognized by the dark mark along her right side and her distinctly shaped melon,” he said.

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“In the short time she was here, our teams were getting to know her personality and the relationships she had with other rescued belugas while giving her supportive care for her acclimation.”

Pulver said part of the challenge of rescuing the whales was helping them settle in and providing ongoing care, adding teams of animal care experts were observing them around the clock.

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Deaths unexpected

He also said the deaths were unexpected as necropsies, blood tests and additional exams are underway.

“From the beginning, we understood that every rescued whale would come with an individual history, health profile and set of needs, and that acclimation would look different for each animal,” he said.

Marineland closed its doors in September 2024 and did not reopen for the 2025 or 2026 seasons.

In October 2025, the family that owns the theme park said they were running out of money to care for the animals and warned the federal government that the belugas and dolphins may have to be euthanized if relocation wasn’t possible.

In late January, Marineland was given conditional approval by the federal government to export the animals.

In June, Ottawa signed off on a plan to split up the 30 whales amongst five facilities, which included SeaWorlds in San Diego, Calif., and San Antonio, Texas, the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, and Oceanografic Valencia in Spain.

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