CHICAGO — A young beluga whale fostered at Shedd Aquarium died after a "prolonged illness" Friday, aquarium representatives announced on their website.
The whale, named "Miki," died at Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut, where he had been brought for a "beluga whale breeding consortium," according to the announcement.
Miki had been brought to Mystic Aquarium before, Shedd representatives said, and the Connecticut site has often been a destination for Shedd's whales and dolphins.
During his time at Shedd, Miki had learned to imitate dolphins and "learned to porpoise himself out of the water almost as high and as gracefully as they do," said Maris Muzzy, an aquarium manager who worked with the whale for eight years, according to the announcement.
"We are so grateful for what we learned by working with him and to be able to teach millions of people about him who would otherwise never be able to see these animals in the wild,” Muzzy added.
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