Connecticut Aquarium Settles Federal Probe Over Whale Deaths

Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut will pay a $12,200 fine to settle a federal investigation into alleged animal care and water quality violations, without admitting guilt. The investigation followed the deaths of three beluga whales brought from Canada in 2021. A USDA investigation cited care violations but aquarium officials insist pre-existing, undetectable health issues were the cause.

A 5-year-old male named Havok died from an intestinal disease in August 2021, while females Havana and Kharabali succumbed to storage disease in 2022 and 2023. Authorities claim aquarium staff failed to call for veterinarian care in Havok's last hours and noted high coliform bacteria levels in their pools. Mystic Aquarium argued the levels returned to normal quickly after malfunctioning equipment was fixed.

Naomi Rose from the Animal Welfare Institute criticized Mystic Aquarium, asserting it made "a huge number of mistakes." A rep for the aquarium had this to say: "While we respectfully disagree with the USDA's assertions, settling this case allows us to stay focused on our core mission: caring for the animals at Mystic Aquarium and inspiring people to protect marine life." The aquarium agreed to the settlement to avoid expensive litigation and remains committed to its mission of marine life conservation. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)