Shedd Aquarium reports deaths of 2 beluga whales, including one rescued from Canada

Two more beluga whales have died at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium, including one recently rescued from Canada, the aquarium announced Wednesday. The deaths bring the total to three in recent weeks, with necropsies underway to determine causes. Rain, a 20-year-old female, was the second of four whales moved from a shuttered Ontario water park to die, following Peekachu last week. A 34-year-old male named Beethoven, who had lived at Shedd for decades, also died, with officials calling the losses unexpected. The whales were part of an international rescue of 30 belugas and four dolphins from Marineland, with other animals sent to Georgia Aquarium, SeaWorld, and Spain. Twenty whales have died at Marineland since 2019, and Canadian officials expressed sadness while defending the rescue effort.