Beluga whale Cyprus dies at SeaWorld San Diego

Cyprus, a nine-year-old male beluga whale rescued from the shuttered Marineland theme park in Ontario, Canada, has died at SeaWorld San Diego. The whale reportedly died Sunday night after unexpectedly refusing to eat. While SeaWorld San Diego noted that Cyprus had been adjusting well to his new environment and interacting with staff, an ultrasound later detected a potentially serious intestinal issue.

This marks the sixth beluga whale to die following the rescue mission that saw 30 belugas and four dolphins relocated from Marineland earlier this summer. Previously, four rescued whales died at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium since August.

SeaWorld San Diego stated that the other rescued belugas currently under its care remain in stable condition. Meanwhile, the Shedd Aquarium reported that its six surviving rescued belugas are showing nutritional improvement.