Whale transferred to U.S. aquarium from Marineland dies, no plans to replace it
An American aquarium says a beluga whale transferred to its facility from Marineland has died and there are no plans to find another to take its place.
Mystic Aquarium said Havok, a male beluga, died Friday after a lengthy battle with a pre-existing gastrointestinal condition.
The whale came to the Connecticut facility with four other female belugas in May after a years-long deal was completed with Marineland, a tourist attraction in Niagara Falls, Ont.
Those whales joined three other belugas at Mystic and all were to be part of several research projects approved by the U.S. government.
"There are no plans to add another whale to the habitat at this time," said Jonathan Dedmon, a spokesman for Mystic Aquarium.
An animal welfare organization sought to block the transfer of the whales in U.S. court, but a judge declined to issue an injunction. Both Canadian and U.S. federal governments signed off on the move.
"Mystic Aquarium's team of veterinarians and animal care experts devoted the full capacity of their expertise to this beluga, providing round-the-clock medical treatment, testing, and 24-hour monitoring in an effort to help him recover," Mystic said in a statement.
"The whale had been in treatment for gastric ulcers that he had developed before arriving, and had been showing signs of improvement throughout his acclimation period."
The American aquarium said the pre-existing condition was being controlled and Havok was stable in his last days at Marineland before the move.
The exact cause of death has not yet been determined, but the University of Connecticut will be conducting a full examination, the aquarium said.
"We will also continue to carefully monitor the other beluga whales, who are healthy and behaving normally," Mystic said. "The information we have indicates that this is an isolated situation and that none of the other whales have had their health impacted."
Marineland did not respond to a request for comment on the death of the transferred whale.
Ontario's animal welfare watchdog, Animal Welfare Services, has been investigating Marineland for months.
It found on May 10 -- the same week the five belugas were moved -- that all marine mammals at Marineland were in distress due to poor water quality.
Inspectors issued two orders to Marineland that day to repair the water system in the pools that house beluga whales, dolphins, walruses, sea lions and one killer whale, according to documents obtained by The Canadian Press from the Animal Care Review Board, a quasi-judicial agency that deals with disputes and appeals in animal welfare cases.
On May 18, Marineland appealed the orders, emphatically denying the animals were in distress, and noting that an unknown number of whale deaths at the park were not related to the water issues.
Marineland has several dozen beluga whales.
Plans to move whales to Mystic hit a snag last December after several belugas at Marineland became sick, according to documents filed with the National Marine Fisheries Service in December.
For one whale named Frankie, health concerns included "esophagitis and gastric ulcerations with ongoing active regurgitation," Mystic wrote in an amendment to import the whales. The whale also had a gastrointestinal infection that was potentially transmissible.
Another whale, Mira, had a respiratory fungal infection and lesions on her blowhole, while a whale called Qila had "a diagnosis of septic gastritis with ongoing active regurgitation."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
A passing comet could shine as bright as Venus. Here are the best viewing times
This eye-catching celestial event is around the corner and will appear in the skies this fall.
Mortgage loan rules are changing in Canada
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has announced changes to mortgage rules she says are aimed at helping more Canadians to purchase their first home.
Body recovered from B.C. lake after unclothed man leads investigators to crash site
Mounties are investigating a fatal crash north of Whistler, B.C., after an unclothed man who was found along the side of the road led police to a pickup truck submerged in a lake with one occupant still inside.
Man suspected in apparent assassination attempt on Trump charged with federal gun crimes
Ryan Wesley Routh portrayed himself online as a man who built housing for homeless people in Hawaii, tried to recruit fighters for Ukraine to defend itself against Russia, and described his support and then disdain for Donald Trump -- even urging Iran to kill him.
Jane's Addiction cancels tour in the wake of an onstage fight
The alternative rock band Jane's Addiction has scuttled its latest tour following an onstage scuffle between lead singer Perry Farrell and guitarist Dave Navarro.
'Never seen anything like this': Humpback whale catches unsuspecting seal off Vancouver Island
A Vancouver Island nature photographer says he has never seen anything like what his camera captured on a recent whale-watching excursion off Victoria.
Former military leader Haydn Edmundson found not guilty of sexual assault
Former vice-admiral Haydn Edmundson has been found not guilty of sexual assault and committing an indecent act, concluding a trial that began in February.
Fall back: When does the time change?
The signs of the upcoming autumn season are here as Canadians are starting to notice the skies getting darker earlier, and brightening later.
'Oh, he's still alive': Sask. pharmacy student caught snooping on medical records of 114 people
A fourth-year pharmacy student doing an internship at a Regina drug store was caught snooping on the medical records of 114 people who were not in their care.