Aquarium beluga dies in Texas

November 3rd, 2009 • Related • Filed Under

By Howard Pousner – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Georgia Aquarium announced late Monday that one of the three beluga whales it moved temporarily to Sea World San Antonio in early October as a precaution during construction died suddenly on Saturday.

The exact cause of death of Nico, who was estimated to be more than 25 years old, was inconclusive after the initial gross necropsy, or animal autopsy, conducted by veterinarians and other animal health specialists in Texas.

“We’re all very sad and dealing with that right now,” said the aquarium’s chief veterinary officer Dr. Gregory Bossart, who does not believe that the move, in a container via Fed Ex, was a factor in Nico’s death. “Usually when you have problems as the result of a transfer, it happens in first few days. And he’s been there for nearly a month.”

The aquarium moved Nico, a male, and female beluga whales Maris and Natasha to Texas while construction at the downtown Atlanta attraction accelerated on a major expansion for a dolphin exhibit that will open in late 2010.

The aquarium’s animal husbandry department had been monitoring the behavior and physiology of the belugas, which are extremely sensitive to sound, since the dolphin-related construction began more than a year ago near their habitat in the Cold Water Quest gallery. Though officials said there had been no significant behaviors indicating stress, they decided the move was in the animals’ best interest.

Nico arrived at the Georgia Aquarium in October 2005, rescued from a Mexico City amusement park. Living in what Bossart called “substandard conditions” in Mexico, he suffered from gastrointestinal problems, liver issues and skin tumors. “My take is the Georgia Aquarium rescued him and gave him a better quality of life,” said Bossart, who had examined Nico as a consultant in Mexico, well before joining the Atlanta staff.

The aquarium has been cautious about the health of its beluga whales since two died there in 2007, Gasper due to bone disease and Marina from apparent complications of age.

More detailed results from the microscopic part of the necropsy are expected in a few months.