Marineland mourns death of ‘beloved’ beluga whale

Marineland Canada says it’s mourning the passing of a beloved beluga whale at its facility in Niagara Falls, Ont.

Gia, who has been at Marineland since birth, died suddenly from a twisted small intestine that resulted in a fatal blockage.

Officials say Gia appeared to be healthy until her sudden passing and was a well-adjusted member of her pod.

“Gia’s life has been complex.  Her mother stopped nursing her prior to Gia getting a taste for fish.  In the wild, this would have certainly led to her death when it happened, but at Marineland, her dedicated care team segregated her from the other whales and worked with her eighteen hours each day for an extended period of time to develop proper eating habits,” said Marineland in a statement on their website.

Marineland says complete necropsy results will be provided when received.