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The death of beloved beluga whale Kharabali was announced by New London County's Mystic Aquarium on Tuesday, Dec. 12.
In their announcement, the aquarium said that Kharabali was the third whale to pass away who had arrived from Marineland, an amusement park located in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Two other whales, named Havok and Havana, died in August 2021 and February 2022 respectively after also suffering from underlying incurable conditions that were unable to be diagnosed while they were alive, the aquarium said.
Kharabali, who arrived at Mystic Aquarium in May 2021, began showing abnormal swimming in November, prompting the aquarium's husbandry team and veterinarians to begin paying more attention to her. Her behavior became more concerning as time went on and she was eventually moved to the intensive care facility at the Aquatic Animal Study Center, where she was closely watched for 11 days.
Despite life-saving efforts and 24-hour monitoring and intensive care, Kharabali died in the company of the team that had been by her side throughout the ordeal, the aquarium said.
"Her spirit touched us all, and we are heartbroken by her passing," said Chief Zoological Officer Allison Tuttle, who added, "Kharabali received the utmost care and love during her time with us, and we will always cherish the moments we shared."
Her exact cause of death will not be known until a necropsy is conducted, the aquarium said.
In a statement, Marineland thanked the aquarium for taking care of Kharabali.
"We cannot thank Mystic Aquarium enough. They provide exceptional care for beluga whales, and despite being amid the challenges of COVID-19, in May 2021, Mystic Aquarium took these five whales on for us to provide the world-class care and expertise they needed," a spokesperson said.
They added, "This collaboration underscores the global community's shared responsibility for animal welfare. Marineland is deeply thankful for Mystic Aquarium's professionalism and tireless efforts in safeguarding the health and happiness of these beloved marine creatures."
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