Third beluga whale dies at Mystic Aquarium since 2021

MYSTIC, Conn. - The Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut has announced the death of a third beluga whale since five of them arrived from Canada in 2021.

Nine-year-old Kharabali died one month after she started "exhibiting abnormal swimming." She was moved to an intensive care facility at the aquarium as "her strange behavior continued to progress," but could not be saved.

The cause of death is not known, and a necropsy is planned. 

"Her spirit touched us all, and we are heartbroken by her passing," said Dr. Allison Tuttle, the aquarium's chief zoological officer, in a statement. "Kharabali received the utmost care and love during her time with us, and we will always cherish the moments we shared."  

Prior whale deaths at Mystic Aquarium

Two other beluga whales have also died since arriving from Marineland, an amusement park in Niagara Falls, Ottawa. Havok died in August 2021 and Havana in February 2022.

"Both were found to have underlying incurable conditions which led to their deaths that were unable to be diagnosed while alive," the aquarium said.

Another whale named Jetta got sick in fall 2021 and landed in critical care but the aquarium says "she is now thriving."

Inspection previously found problems with whale care

An inspection by the U.S. Department of Agriculture after Havoc's death found problems with the care of that whale and others. An aquarium spokeswoman said at the time that issues brought up in the inspection were being addressed.

Animal rights activists had sued unsuccessfully to block the whale's transport, saying a permit granted by the U.S. Commerce secretary and the National Marine Fisheries Service didn't adequately address the potential harm to the belugas caused by being moved to the Connecticut aquarium.

The whales, which ranged in age from 7 to 12 at the time of the transport, were born in captivity, and officials say they cannot safely be released into the ocean.

The aquarium said that it provided Kharabali with round-the-clock medical treatment and monitoring.

"This loss weighs heavily on us," the aquarium said in its news release, "especially our animal care staff."