This alert is no longer active, but here for reference. Animals still need your help.

Chicago, Illinois’ Shedd Aquarium continues to breed and exploit cetaceans for profit, despite growing awareness of the harm and suffering whales and dolphins endure in captivity. Please urge the Shedd Aquarium to shut down its cetacean exhibit and send all its cetacean captives to sanctuaries! 

The Shedd Aquarium was featured on our Ten Worst Tanks list for the prominent role it plays in the national syndicate for trading whales and dolphins. It regularly removes cetaceans from their companions as if they were objects in a museum. 

The Shedd Aquarium continues to breed cetaceans relentlessly, often with tragic results. Mauyak, a beluga who was captured from the wild, gave birth to a calf in July 2019. This calf will likely live in permanent captivity and may never be allowed to see the stars or clouds track across the skies since the Shedd Aquarium’s tanks are entirely indoors. He, like all the other captives, will never be allowed to dive deeply, swim long distances, or make any meaningful decisions about his life.

A month later, a Pacific white-sided dolphin named Piquet, who was also captured from the wild, suffered a tragic miscarriage.

Shedd Aquarium’s cruel practices also includes forcing the cetaceans held at its facility to perform degrading tricks. The website breathlessly details “encounters” in which visitors can touch belugas. For an extra fifty dollars, a whale will be forced to hold by mouth a “Happy Birthday” buoy. With what is known of their significant intelligence and emotional capabilities, cetaceans should not be forced to perform or endure the conditions of captivity for any reason. 

What You Can Do

This alert is no longer active, but here for reference. Animals still need your help.