A beluga whale named Maris was born in 1994 at the New York Aquarium. In November 2005, Maris arrived at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, where she spent 10 years of life with two more beluga whales. On Oct. 22, the beloved and healthy beluga whale died suddenly.
Maris received routine examinations every week. The whale's most recent exam results didn't show any sign of illness. Officials reported that Maris had a normal eating habit and regular interactions with fellow whales Grayson and Qinu prior to death.
"This is a case of sudden, acute animal death. Our animals receive exceptional care, and our dedicated team of experts responded to her within minutes to render aid," said senior vice president and chief veterinary officer Dr. Gregory Bossart.
Aquarium officials expressed how sad it was to lose Maris. Georgia Aquarium's chairman and chief executive officer Mike Leven shared that Maris had inspired millions of guests who visit the aquarium each year. The bonds between Maris and the veterinary teams and animal care teams that lasted over 10 years were really special. The loss was both unexpected and difficult for the Georgia Aquarium team.
To determine the cause of death, the whale's body is currently undergoing necropsy or the autopsy for animals. Georgia Aquarium veterinarians and University of Georgia pathologists are expected to come up with results in the following weeks.
In June, Maris gave birth to a female beluga whale. Unfortunately, the baby beluga died after failing to gain sufficient weight. The calf's father was named Beethoven, a male beluga whale that resided in the Georgia Aquarium for many years. The male beluga whale was loaned to Chicago's Shedd Aquarium for breeding purposes. This was Maris' second pregnancy. In May 2012, she also gave birth to a baby beluga whale, but it died in less than a week.
Despite the loss of two calves, Maris lived a good life during her time at the Georgia Aquarium, helping enrich the experience of millions of visitors who visit the beluga whale habitat each year.
She will be terribly missed.
