Marineland beluga Cyprus dies at SeaWorld San Diego

Cyprus, a nine-year-old male beluga whale moved from Marineland in Niagara Falls, Ont., has died at SeaWorld San Diego less than two months after he arrived, the facility said Sunday.

SeaWorld said Cyprus stopped eating on Friday. An ultrasound found that his intestinal tract did not appear to be functioning normally, the facility said. He arrived in California on Aug. 22.

A necropsy will be performed and the cause of death has not been determined, according to the Canadian Press report carried by Global News.

SeaWorld said Cyprus had been doing well before he fell ill. It said he was eating consistently and interacting with trainers and with two other rescued belugas. The facility noted that belugas can mask discomfort. It said the other two belugas are in stable health and are being closely monitored.

Marineland said the necropsy process “will take a considerable amount of time” and that its commitment to the animals’ care continues, according to the same report. The cause of death will be shared with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

CHCH also reported the death, and CBC News and Radio-Canada have carried stories on it.

Cyprus is the latest animal from the closed Ontario park to die since its remaining whales and dolphins were moved out this summer. Marineland said it was running out of money and could no longer care for the last captive whales and dolphins in Canada. About 30 belugas and four dolphins were sent to other facilities.

Less than two weeks ago, a 27-year-old female beluga named Caspian died at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. Shedd said she had not been eating properly and that blood samples showed electrolyte abnormalities. Our earlier report on the sixth Marineland animal to die after the move has the full tally at that point.

Shedd carried out necropsies on two other Marineland belugas, Peekachu and Rain, and concluded that both had chronic, pre-existing diseases. At Oceanografic Valencia in Spain, a beluga named Jelly Bean and a dolphin named Echo also died after the move.

The export was approved by Ottawa in January. Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson gave conditional approval for Marineland to export the remaining belugas to the U.S. after the park had warned it might have to euthanize the animals. That warning followed a long financial crisis, including the park’s appeal for help from Ottawa and Ontario in October 2025.

The coverage reviewed does not include comment from Fisheries and Oceans Canada, NOAA or animal-welfare groups on Cyprus’s death. It is not yet known whether his illness was linked to the move. This story is developing.

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Via Global News. Additional reporting from CHCH.