The Shedd Aquarium’s aquatic family is getting a little bit bigger this week.
Chicago’s largest aquarium has begun to receive a crop of beluga whales as part of a massive rescue effort.
Here’s everything to know about the operation.
Shedd Aquarium acquires 6 of 10 beluga whales
The Shedd received the first 6 out of 10 beluga whales on Tuesday, July 21, according to a post shared on social media.
“Six belugas are now stateside,” organizers wrote.
The beluga whale acquisition is part of an ongoing, multi-national rescue operation following the closure of Marineland of Canada, an aquatic wildlife park in Ontario, Canada.
The Shedd is one of three aquariums receiving belugas as part of the operation.
Shedd officials previously shared that the rescue is highly complex and large in scale. Additional updates are expected soon.
While an exact timeline for the operation has not been released, the remainder of the rescued whales are likely to arrive in the coming days or weeks.
