Since the relocation, four belugas and one dolphin have died. The most recent loss occurred on Sept. 24 at the Oceanogràfic de València in Spain.

Naomi Rose, senior scientist at the Animal Welfare Institute, says transporting belugas is inherently very stressful. Valeria Vergara, senior scientist with the Raincoast Conservation Foundation, adds that psychological stress quickly turns into physiological stress, raising stress hormones that suppress appetite.

The animals are lifted out of their tanks with a crane, placed in a sling, then loaded into a box that is only partially filled with cold water. Because the whale is not fully buoyant, it can feel as if it is stranded, a situation that adds to its distress.

Echo, a blind bottlenose dolphin, arrived in Valencia with severe vision problems and died within a day. Jelly Bean, a beluga, suffered feeding difficulties before her death, and Peekachu, another beluga at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium, died from dehydration and loss of appetite just ten days after arrival.

These cases show how transport‑induced stress can trigger a cascade of health issues—loss of appetite, dehydration, and rapid deterioration—that can be fatal for already vulnerable marine mammals.