A dolphin that was relocated from Marineland has passed away in Spain, marking the fifth death of an animal from the closed Niagara Falls, Ont., tourist spot following a major transfer of whales and dolphins during the summer. The Oceanogràfic de València confirmed that Echo, a 30-year-old blind Black Sea bottlenose dolphin, died on Wednesday. The facility stated that Echo started experiencing difficulties with swallowing and breathing, leading to her transfer to the medical pool. Despite the efforts of Oceanogràfic’s animal care and veterinary teams, Echo’s condition deteriorated rapidly, resulting in her passing overnight.
Echo, along with three other dolphins and two belugas, were transported to Oceanogràfic on August 26 in a lengthy 19-hour journey from the closed Niagara Falls attraction. 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 four animals rescued from Canada 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 dedicated to her care and well-being due to her specific needs since her arrival.
Since Marineland transferred 30 belugas and four dolphins to five different parks over the summer, four belugas and one dolphin have now died. Three belugas died at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, along with one of the aquarium’s resident belugas.
Marineland closed in 2024 due to financial constraints and an inability to care for its marine animals. A deal with Chimelong Ocean Kingdom in China was canceled by Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson, citing concerns about the welfare of the whales. Thompson highlighted the disparity in animal welfare laws between China and Canada, which banned whale and dolphin captivity in 2019 but exempted Marineland’s animals.
Marineland threatened to euthanize the whales without emergency funding, prompting a global outcry. Subsequently, a group of American and Spanish aquariums collaborated to assist with the relocation of Marineland’s marine mammals, which took place from mid-July to late August.
Both Shedd Aquarium and Oceanogràfic are conducting investigations to ascertain the causes of the animals’ deaths. Veterinarians from all parks involved in the relocation process had examined and cleared the animals for transport, including approval from Thompson based on updated health assessments.