Three beluga whales just died at one of America’s top-rated aquariums

Three beluga whales have died at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, reigniting discussions about the welfare of captive marine animals. The deaths occurred over a span of eight days, beginning late August to early September. Alongside the three belugas, two others at the aquarium passed away during the same period. The cause of death for the belugas remains unknown as the aquarium awaits results from a necropsy.

Shedd Aquarium is one of the oldest and most prestigious aquariums in the United States, but this incident is not its first instance of controversy related to beluga whales. In 1991, the aquarium brought two belugas from the wild in Canada. Shortly after, two of these whales died due to cardiovascular collapse after receiving an anti-parasitic drug. Subsequent to this, the aquarium has not directly sourced any belugas from the wild, though it has witnessed 15 beluga births in captivity.

Animal experts and advocates argue that the natural behaviors of beluga whales, such as extensive seasonal migrations, complex social interactions, hunting, and raising juveniles, are denied in the small, artificial, and unchanging environments of aquariums. Lori Marino, a neuroscientist and president of the Whale Sanctuary Project, asserts that the level of boredom experienced by captive belugas is akin to torture.

Despite claims from the aquarium that dynamic enclosures, enrichment activities, and strong socialization can predict good welfare, such environments can still lead to harmful behavioral issues, often referred to as "zoochosis."