Belugas are back in Atlanta

Source: Georgia Aquarium

The Georgia Aquarium announced today that beluga whales are back in the Georgia-Pacific Cold Water Quest gallery.

Maris, a 15-year-old female, returned after a few months at SeaWorld San Antonio, joined by her mate, Beethoven, an 18-year-old male who spent most of his life at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma, Wash., the aquarium said. They were flown in on a FedEx cargo plane, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

The pair is still getting acclimated, and the aquarium has not announced when they will go on public view.

The aquarium temporarily moved its three belugas — Maris, her mother, Natasha, and Nico, a male — to Sea World San Antonio while it made some changes to Cold Water Quest, the AJC said.

Natasha will remain in San Antonio, because a mate has been found for her there. Nico, whom the Georgia Aquarium had rescued in 2005 from a Mexico City attraction, died in San Antonio suddenly of unspecified causes on Oct. 31. He was the third of Georgia Aquarium’s belugas to die. Gaspar, who had arrived with Nico, was euthanized in January 2007 because of a bone disease he contracted before coming to Atlanta. Both whales had significant health problems from their times in a foreign park, Dr. Gregory D. Bossart, chief veterinary officer at the aquarium, told CNN at the time.

Another beluga whale, Marina, died later that year from complications of old age.

There are just 36 belugas in captivity in North America, housed at eight aquariums.