A 23-year-old female beluga whale named Pikachu has died at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago just days after being relocated from a closed marine park in Canada, despite efforts by veterinary staff to save her, according to an Associated Press report.
Pikachu was blind in one eye and suffered from ongoing socialization difficulties. She died on Tuesday, August 25, as aquarium keepers attempted to treat her for severe dehydration and replenish her fluid levels.
Staff at Shedd Aquarium, a major public indoor aquarium located on Lake Michigan in Illinois, reported that Pikachu initially showed encouraging signs of improvement during her first days in Chicago. However, routine blood tests conducted on Tuesday raised immediate concern. As veterinary team members attempted to administer food and medication, the whale suffered cardiac arrest and her heart stopped.
Pikachu was one of eight beluga whales moved during the summer from Marineland, a former commercial theme park and zoo in Niagara Falls, Ontario, which permanently closed its doors in 2024. Four of the whales were transferred to Chicago in July, while the remaining four arrived in August.
Medical complications and park rescue efforts
Shedd Aquarium has promised to publish the complete necropsy results, a specialized animal post-mortem examination, as soon as the medical findings are finalized.
The death comes during a massive, highly complex multi-institutional operation to evacuate surviving marine mammals from Marineland. The Canadian park faced severe financial collapse, declining visitor numbers, and public allegations of animal cruelty before shutting down in 2024, leaving 30 belugas stranded on the property.
Animal welfare concerns at the Ontario park had escalated for years prior to its shutdown. Since 2019, 19 belugas and one killer whale had died at Marineland. In October 2025, park representatives warned that the remaining whales might have to be euthanized if the Canadian federal government failed to provide financial assistance. In response, Canadian Minister Joanna Thompson rejected the funding request and placed full responsibility for the animals' condition on the park management.
International relocation of marine mammals
Following the crisis, the United States government officially confirmed plans to evacuate 28 beluga whales from the Ontario facility. Representatives from participating American marine sanctuaries and aquariums promised that the animals would receive high-grade habitats, guaranteed water quality standards, and continuous medical supervision.
The broader evacuation effort will see remaining belugas and dolphins transferred to several major marine facilities across North America and Europe. These destinations include Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, SeaWorld parks in San Antonio, Texas, and San Diego, California, as well as the Oceanografic Valencia oceanarium in Spain.
Oceanografic Valencia is scheduled to take in two of the beluga whales once final administrative permits are cleared by Spanish government authorities.
