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CHICAGO — <\/span>A third beluga has died at a Chicago aquarium after being rescued this summer from a shuttered Canadian marine park<\/a> in a complex international operation that moved 30 whales to aquariums in the U.S. and Spain. <\/p>\n Osiris, a 26-year-old female whale, died on Monday, Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium said in a statement. The death comes less than a week after a fourth beluga, named Jelly Bean, died since it was rehomed at Oceanogr\u00e0fic de Val\u00e8ncia in Spain.<\/p>\n The deaths were sudden and unexpected as their health wavered amid the challenges of adjusting to a new home, according to statements from the aquariums. <\/p>\n Beluga whales are particularly vulnerable to changes in their environment, like climate change, pollution and other sources of stress, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. Beluga whales native to the Cook Inlet on Alaska’s coast are classified as an endangered species, and their population rapidly declined by nearly 80% from 1979 to 2018.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen Shedd was asked to help with this rescue, we understood that these animals arrived with significant vulnerabilities and that the outcome for every individual could not be guaranteed,\u201d the Shedd Aquarium said in a statement. <\/p>\n The Shedd Aquarium took in 10 of the 30 belugas and four dolphins stranded at Marineland, an Ontario park that closed years ago and could no longer care for them. The Canadian government signed off on a last-minute agreement<\/a> to move its last captive whales out of the country earlier this year, saving them from euthanasia.<\/p>\n The belugas came from the Marineland park and zoo in Niagara Falls<\/a>, Ontario, which announced in early 2023 that it was for sale and closed to the public in late summer 2024. Twenty whales \u2014 19 belugas and one killer whale \u2014 had died at Marineland since 2019, according to provincial government data obtained through freedom of information laws and official statements.<\/p>\n The rescued belugas were moved in custom-made slings and temperature-controlled containers, Shedd staff told The Associated Press. Aquarium personnel traveled to Marineland to examine their health records in preparation for the move. They have monitored their health minute-by-minute since they arrived, the aquarium staff said.<\/p>\n Peekachu and Rain died at the Shedd in late August and early September after arriving from Canada. Another beluga that had lived at the aquarium for decades died around the same time.<\/p>\n Osiris was a \u201cwhale of clinical concern\u201d since she arrived, according to the aquarium. The whale did not eat as consistently as her fellow animals, which complicated the efforts to keep her well-fed and hydrated, according to the statement.<\/p>\n \u201cOsiris experienced periods of meaningful progress, both nutritionally and socially, but her overall condition remained closely monitored,\u201d the aquarium stated.<\/p>\n Osiris’ caretakers noticed sudden changes in her behavior and breathing patterns the morning of her death, according to the aquarium. She was moved to the medical habitat, but \u201cher condition declined rapidly,\u201d and she \u201cpassed away despite lifesaving efforts.\u201d<\/p>\n Jelly Bean, the whale that died at Oceanogr\u00e0fic de Val\u00e8ncia, also died \u201csuddenly and unexpectedly,\u201d according to Jos\u00e9 Rafael Serra, a spokesperson for the facility. The whale \u201cexperienced feeding difficulties, prompting the veterinary team to intensify her monitoring,\u201d despite periods of improvement, Serra said in an email.<\/p>\n The Spanish aquarium took in two of Marineland’s beluga whales, including Jelly Bean. The Georgia Aquarium and SeaWorld locations in San Diego and San Antonio have also accepted whales from the Canadian park.<\/p>\n The two rescued whales at the Georgia Aquarium showed decreased appetites and were examined, but no issues were found, the aquarium said in a social media post Friday. The whales at SeaWorld are in \u201cstable health,\u201d according to AnneMarie Iturrizaga, a spokesperson for the company that owns the parks.<\/p>\n The Shedd Aquarium notified the NOAA of Osiris\u2019 death Monday, according to John Chu, a spokesperson for NOAA Fisheries. Within 30 days of the whales\u2019 deaths, the aquarium must formally submit their names and causes of death, and on request, provide copies of necropsy reports, Chu said in an email earlier this month.<\/p>\n The Shedd Aquarium said it will conduct necropsies into the whales and will share the results when they are confirmed.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n Mayes-Osterman reported from Chicago, and Associated Press reporter Ryan J. Foley contributed. Mayes-Osterman is a corps member for The Associated Press\/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America<\/a> is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n