Gimli swims in the Underwater Viewing area of the Abbott Oceanarium during 24/7 observations.
We're seeing some welcome signs of progress among the six rescued belugas at Shedd. As they settle into more familiar routines, the whales are growing more comfortable with their care team, participating in their care and wellbeing and revealing more of their distinct personalities. They've also reached a new milestone, with all six now spending time together in shared habitats, swimming, exploring and socializing.
Each of these developments marks another step in the whales' adjustment to their new surroundings. There's still much to learn about their individual health and needs, but we're encouraged by what we're seeing with these positive developments.
Secord participates in a training session.
A Month of Full Meals
For nearly a month now, all six rescued belugas have consistently eaten their full daily diets.
Along with essential nutrients and calories, fish provide the hydration belugas rely on. When a whale isn't eating regularly, it can affect their health and make providing care more challenging.
Given the whales' varied health histories, their consistent appetites is an important sign that their daily nutritional needs are being met. While eating well doesn't tell us everything about their health, it provides our veterinary team with an important measure of how they're doing, alongside daily observations and other medical assessments.
Gimli interacts with enrichment.
Getting to Know Each Other
Getting to know six belugas means discovering six distinct personalities, along with the little preferences and behaviors that make each one recognizable to the people caring for them.
Sierra is spunky and curious, particularly when there's enrichment to explore, and she's known to give a good spit. Acadia and Lillooet have gentler, more reserved personalities, while Yukon, still a juvenile, has no shortage of confidence. Secord has emerged as a bold presence among the group, and Gimli brings an unmistakable enthusiasm to just about everything, from spending time with other belugas to learning something new with his care team.
We're also seeing the whales engage with different forms of enrichment, including activities and objects that invite them to investigate, play and solve problems. For intelligent, inquisitive animals like belugas, these experiences provide mental stimulation, encourage natural behaviors and offer opportunities to make choices. What captures one whale's attention may be of little interest to another, giving our teams another way to understand what each animal enjoys.
That familiarity is making a difference in their veterinary care, too. Recently, Gimli offered his fluke for a blood draw. The blood sample can then be taken to Shedd’s in-house clinical laboratory for assessment. Sierra came to the caretakers and held still for an ultrasound. Both are important milestones as the whales become more comfortable participating in procedures that allow veterinarians to look beyond what they can observe day to day.
Blood samples and ultrasounds can reveal valuable information about a whale's health, such as red blood cell count, signs of a possible infection and even how well the internal organs are working. The ability to participate voluntarily in these procedures gives our teams more opportunities to identify concerns, monitor changes and support their individual health needs.
The four rescued females - Sierra, Secord, Acadia and Lillooet - swim together.
Together Again
The six rescued belugas are spending more time together, marking an important step in their gradual social introductions. While the whales have access to four connected habitats, caretakers often see them making use of just one – preferring to stay close to one another rather than venture off.
Until recently, the rescued whales at Shedd have been in different habitats of the Oceanarium, where they could still see and hear one another through connected channels. Last week, the rescues had the opportunity to mix with one another and are now sharing habitats, swimming, diving and socializing together. Among them are two mother-son pairs: juvenile male Gimli is once again sharing space with his mother, Secord, while young Yukon has been seen swimming and socializing with his mother, Acadia.
Sierra participates in a training session.
Looking Ahead
The past few months have brought plenty of learning as the rescued belugas adjust to their new surroundings. We've shared frequent updates along the way, offering a closer look at the care they're receiving and what our teams are observing as they get to know each whale.
As the whales settle into more familiar routines, their progress may be less about weekly milestones and more about the small changes that unfold over time. With that in mind, we'll move away from a weekly cadence and continue sharing updates when there are meaningful developments to report.
We're grateful for the care and curiosity so many people have shown these whales, and for the thoughtful questions and support you've shared along the way.