A dolphin that was transferred from Marineland to Spain has passed away, marking the fifth death of animals relocated from the closed tourist attraction in Niagara Falls, Ontario, following a significant movement of whales and dolphins during the summer.
The Oceanogràfic de València announced the death of Echo, a blind Black Sea bottlenose dolphin believed to be 30 years old, on Wednesday. Echo started experiencing difficulties swallowing and respiratory issues before being moved to the medical pool, where her condition worsened rapidly despite the efforts of the Oceanografic’s animal care and veterinary teams.
Echo, along with three other dolphins and two belugas, was transported to Oceanogràfic on August 26 in a lengthy 19-hour journey from the defunct Niagara Falls facility. Sadly, one of the belugas named Jelly Bean had already passed away the previous week.
Oceanogràfic is conducting necropsies on both deceased animals in collaboration with pathology experts at CEU Cardenal Herrera University to determine the cause of death. The remaining rescued animals are reported to be in good health and are being closely monitored by Oceanogràfic’s professional teams.
The loss of Echo has deeply affected the Oceanogràfic team, who had been providing dedicated care to her due to her specific needs since her arrival. This tragedy adds to the toll of four belugas and one dolphin that have died following the relocation of 30 belugas and four dolphins from Marineland to various parks over the summer.
Investigations are ongoing at both Shedd Aquarium and Oceanogràfic to ascertain the factors behind the animals’ deaths. Marineland’s closure in 2024 due to financial constraints led to the urgent need to relocate its marine mammals to prevent euthanasia, prompting a collaborative effort with American and Spanish aquariums for their transfer.
Throughout the relocation process, veterinarians from all involved parks, including Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson, cleared the animals for transport after thorough health assessments. The move of the whales and dolphins began in July and concluded by the end of August, with ongoing scrutiny to determine the causes of the unfortunate deaths.