In the pre-dawn hours of Tuesday, July 22, four beluga whales arrived at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium in steel containers marked "live animals, this side up." Their names are Acadia, Osiris, Sierra, and Lillooet — all females, all in their 20s, and all survivors of one of the most turbulent chapters in recent marine mammal history, Chicago Sun-Times reports.

The four whales came from Marineland of Canada, a sprawling theme park and zoo in Niagara Falls, Ontario, that permanently closed to the public in 2024 and never reopened. Roughly 30 belugas remained stranded on the grounds, their fate unresolved and increasingly dire.

A Rescue Years in the Making

The transfer is the opening phase of a plan to move all 30 remaining Marineland belugas to accredited facilities in the United States and Spain. Two other whales left simultaneously for SeaWorld in San Antonio, Texas, Chicago Sun-Times reported. The remaining destinations include Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, SeaWorld San Diego, and Oceanogràfic València in Spain, CBC News reports.

Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans endorsed the plan in June. U.S. authorities, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, followed suit earlier, The Washington Times reports.

Moving animals this large is physically demanding. Beluga whales can weigh up to 3,000 pounds, requiring cranes, hoists, and specialist slings just to lift them from the water. The four Chicago-bound whales made the journey by cargo jet and truck, with marine mammal veterinarians riding alongside to monitor their health throughout, WGN TV reports.

Why These Four Whales, and Why Together

Shedd officials say Acadia, 27, Osiris, 26, Sierra, 26, and Lillooet, 21, were chosen specifically because of their bonds with each other. Keeping the group together was deliberate. "As a highly social species, dynamics between the animals are important in providing comfort during transport," Shedd said in a statement, ABC7 Chicago reports.

The four now share the Shedd's 3-million-gallon Abbott Oceanarium with eight resident belugas. The aquarium says it can accommodate up to 10 Marineland whales in total, Block Club Chicago reports. No timeline has been set for the arrival of the remaining six.

Years of Threats, Deaths, and Dead Ends

The Marineland saga has been building for years. Twenty whales — 19 belugas and one killer whale — died at the facility between 2019 and the park's closure, according to provincial government data obtained through freedom-of-information laws, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

When Canada blocked a proposed transfer to the Chimelong Ocean Kingdom aquarium in China, Marineland warned it might have no choice but to euthanize all 30 whales. The threat hung over the animals for months as governments traded responsibility and advocates scrambled for alternatives, CBC News reports.

Not Everyone Is Celebrating

The Whale Sanctuary Project, which has been building a coastal sanctuary in Nova Scotia, says the operation is less a rescue than a continuation of the same captivity system. "If the only answer governments have when a marine park fails is to move whales to another marine park, then we have not solved the problem," said Dr. Lori Marino, the organization's president, Whale Sanctuary Project warns.

Canadian animal advocates also raised legal alarms. Camille Labchuk, executive director of Animal Justice, said her primary concern is whether the receiving aquariums will breed the belugas — something Canada's 2019 law was designed to prevent. "If they breed them, that will completely undermine Canada's national laws," she said, Chicago Sun-Times reports.

What Comes Next

Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati welcomed the first wave but was measured. "We still have to repeat this several times. It's not without risk," he told CBC News. About two dozen belugas remain at the shuttered Ontario facility, waiting for their turn.

At Shedd, staff are watching closely for signs that Acadia, Osiris, Sierra, and Lillooet are settling in — eating full diets, socializing, and exploring their habitat. The aquarium cautions that a transport of this scale is hard on the animals, and that experts expect to learn more about each whale's health in the days ahead, WTTW Chicago reports.

For now, four white whales are breathing new air in Chicago. The other 24 are still waiting.