A Connecticut aquarium where three beluga whales died in recent years has agreed to settle a federal investigation over alleged animal care and water quality violations by paying a $12,200 fine while not admitting or denying the accusations. The whales died from illnesses after being brought to Mystic Aquarium from Canada in 2021, according to the aquarium. The U.
S. Department of Agriculture proposed the settlement on Aug. 13.
The aquarium agreed to the conditions, a spokesperson said Wednesday, adding that there was disagreement over whether violations occurred. The alleged violations cited by the Department of Agriculture played no role in the deaths of the three whales, said Meagan Seacor, vice president of external relations for the aquarium. The whales had pre-existing health problems that were not detectable before they arrived in Mystic, she said.
that were brought to Mystic in 2021 from Marineland in Niagara Falls, Ontario, after a lengthy legal battle to obtain permits from both the U.S. and Canada.
In August 2021, a named Havok died from an intestinal disease. Two female whales, and , died in 2022 and 2023, respectively, from storage disease, which can damage the brain, spinal cord and other body areas, according to the aquarium. All three whales’ health problems were genetic and not curable, aquarium officials said.
Two of the violations cited by the Department of Agriculture related to the care of Havok. The agency claimed aquarium staff failed to call for veter.
