A 23-year-old female beluga named Peekachu has died at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, less than two weeks after being transferred from Marineland.
Canada granted export permits for Marineland to ship all 30 remaining belugas and four dolphins after the now-for-sale theme park threatened to kill them.
Reports suggest that many whales at Marineland may be suffering from poor health, yet Canada has approved all of its belugas for export. Transport is extremely dangerous for whales and can even be deadly for animals who are already sick.
Staff at Shedd Aquarium said that Peekachu, who was blind in one eye, wasn’t eating well, and a blood test revealed that she was dehydrated. She died suddenly Tuesday evening.
Peekachu was captured from the wild as a baby in Russia in 2004. The following year, she was sent to Marineland, where she spent more than 21 years in captivity. At Marineland, she gave birth to two babies—Penny-Wink, who died around the age of seven, and Balor, who was recently shipped to Georgia Aquarium. People who knew her say she was “fierce, yet gentle,” and “as smart as can be.”
The government has stated that the health of the whales and dolphins would be assessed prior to transport, but Peekachu’s sudden death suggests that her health was likely deeply compromised.
Animal Justice sent a letter asking the Fisheries Minister to investigate her death and allow an independent government review of Peekachu’s veterinary, transport, and necropsy records.
Additionally, we’re urging the government to pause the transfer of Marineland’s remaining six belugas until thorough, independent assessments confirm they are healthy enough for transport. The animals’ welfare must take priority over Marineland’s financial interests.
Last of Canada’s Captive Dolphins Exported to Spain
On Wednesday, Marineland shipped four dolphins and two belugas to Spain, which means no captive dolphins remain in Canada. Workers loaded the whales and dolphins into transport tanks on trucks before beginning their international journey to Oceanogràfic in València, Spain.
In 2019, Canada passed landmark legislation banning the breeding of whales and dolphins in captivity. The legislation was intended to help bring an end to the cycle of captive breeding and ensure that these highly intelligent, social animals would not continue to be born into a lifetime of confinement.
Despite this, the Canadian government reportedly allowed Marineland to export all of its whales and dolphins without restrictions on breeding—even though the last time export permits were issued to send whales to Oceanogràfic València in 2019, there was a no-breeding agreement.
Without clear no-breeding conditions for these exports, there is a very real concern that the cycle Canada sought to end could continue elsewhere.
A Sanctuary Was Offered
A sanctuary in Nova Scotia, currently being built by the Whale Sanctuary Project, could have offered a seaside home for approximately ten of Marineland’s beluga whales. This was a chance for these animals to experience something closer to their natural environment—a life in a netted-off ocean cove in a space more than 100 times bigger than a tank at Marineland.
After receiving necessary provincial permits last fall, the sanctuary has begun construction and is fundraising to make the site operational as soon as possible. But neither Marineland nor any level of government has stepped up to provide loans or financial support for the sanctuary to ensure it can open soon enough to help Marineland whales retire there.
Instead, the Canadian government issued permits allowing the animals to be moved to aquariums in the US and Spain after Marineland threatened to kill all of its whales. Rather than moving these animals toward a future outside of captivity, the transfers will simply move them from one tank to another. Sadly, given the current reality, the move is likely the least worst option for these animals who cannot be released into the wild.
Take Action for Marineland Whales & Dolphins
We must ensure whales and dolphins being exported from Marineland do not become the foundation for another generation born into a life of misery in a tiny tank.
Send a message to the receiving aquariums demanding a commitment to never breed Marineland’s belugas and dolphins!
Banner: Carlos Osorio | The Canadian Press
