NIAGARA FALLS — Canada’s last captive dolphins are leaving Marineland for a new home in Spain while a beluga recently relocated from the park has died in a Chicago aquarium. Shedd Aquarium says Peekachu, a beluga that moved from the shuttered Niagara Falls, Ont., theme park two weeks ago, died Tuesday night. Shedd says the 23-year-old female whale died suddenly after blood tests revealed it was dehydrated. The Chicago park, which has taken in eight of Marineland’s belugas, says it provided care and fluids but could not save the whale, leaving staff who cared for Peekachu devastated. Marineland says it is saddened by the death, but adds that the rest of its whales are receiving the best treatment at Shedd. Trainers worked over several hours Wednesday morning at Marineland to load four dolphins and two belugas into tanks on transport trucks that are en route to Toronto Pearson International Airport for the journey to Oceanografic Valencia in Spain. Echo, Lida, Marina and Tsunami are the dolphins leaving Canada on Wednesday. They will be joined by belugas Cleopatra and Jelly Bean. The six belugas remaining in Marineland – the last captive whales in Canada – are soon set to head to an aquarium in the United States. The largest collective move of captive whales and dolphins -- 30 belugas and four dolphins -- has been underway since mid-July as Marineland moves all of its animals off the property. The park is up for sale and has said it is running out of money and can no longer afford to care for the animals. It had originally sold all of its 30 belugas and four dolphins to an aquarium in China, but the federal government blocked the move, saying it violated the spirit of a 2019 law. That law banned whale and dolphin captivity, and forbade breeding and performances. After Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson nixed the move to China, Marineland threatened to euthanize all of its belugas and whales unless the federal government provided an emergency infusion of cash. The park then turned to a consortium of American and Spanish aquariums for help. Its belugas have also been shipped to SeaWorld locations in San Diego and San Antonio, the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago and the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 26, 2026. Liam Casey, The Canadian Press
