Protestors Gather at Georgia Aquarium After Whale Deaths

Julia Harding, Fox Atlanta 9 Dec 07;

ATLANTA (FOX 5) – After the death of a fourth animal at the Georgia Aquarium, protestors were calling for protection of the large fish Sunday.

As people walked out of the Georgia Aquarium Sunday they were greeted by protestors from the Georgia Animal Rights and Protection group.

The group was asking patrons to boycott the aquarium after Marina the beluga whale died on December 1.

Protestors said they protested after each of the aquarium deaths.

This year, two whale sharks and two beluga whales have died. The most recent was Marina last week.

Marina, the second beluga whale to die at the aquarium this year, was on loan from New York's aquarium. Staff members said they noticed Marina was sick on Thanksgiving.

"She lost her appetite and became disoriented to the point where she would hurt herself," said Dave Santucci of the Georgia Aquarium.

Early results from Marina's necropsy showed she appeared to be older than her estimated age of 25, but it could take months for scientists to analyze the tissue samples and determine an exact cause of death.

Another beluga whale, Gasper, was 17 years-old when he was euthanized in January after suffering from a bone disease.

Two of the Georgia Aquarium's whale sharks have also died this year. Ralph died in January and Norton died in June.

After their deaths, protestors gathered outside the aquarium saying captivity wasn't right for the large fish.

Back in June, aquarium CEO Jeff Swanagan disagreed saying, "In one sense, we are very saddened by this. We wear our hearts on our sleeves, but we're also committed to the education and conservation."

Early findings of beluga whale's death at US aquarium inconclusive
The Associated Press, International Herald Tribune 3 Dec 07;

ATLANTA: Early results from a necropsy performed on a beluga whale that died at the Georgia Aquarium produced no conclusive findings on the cause of death, officials said Monday.

Marina had fallen ill at the aquarium and died early Saturday morning.

It may take months for scientists to analyze the whale's tissue samples and determine a cause of death, said spokesman Dave Santucci.

Scientists from the aquarium, the University of Georgia and the University of Florida began the medical examination into Marina's death on Saturday,

The whale's central nervous system will continue to be a focus of the investigation, Santucci said. Officials previously said the whale increasingly showed disorientation in her swimming behavior and she stopped eating on Nov. 22.

The initial examination did reveal that Marina appeared to be much older than her previously estimated age of 25.

"She was in a late stage of life," Santucci said. "Age is not a cause of death but it is a major factor in the body's ability to fight" disease and injury.

Marina was the second-oldest of four beluga whales at the aquarium. Marina was among three beluga whales that were transferred in November 2005 from Wildlife Conservation Society's New York Aquarium.

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