Why is it that whales, in particular, are so arresting of our attention and affections? Well, to start, we know that many aquatic mammals have complex social behaviors, have their own cultural traditions and converse in indicerpherable (at least so far) languages. We also know that they — there’s no other verb that works here — mourn the deaths of their loved ones.
And so it makes sense that so many people were outraged and distressed when a number of beluga whales who had recently been “rescued” from Marineland, an aquarium known for its animal welfare abuses, died at supposedly a better place: Chicago’s famous Shedd Aquarium.
In Vox correspondent Kenny Torrella’s latest story, he explores the ethical quandary of even the “best” aquariums and the enduring harms that humans inflict on so many animals under the banner of conservation.
The three animals’ cause of death at Shedd Aquarium remains unknown as officials await necropsy results. But these deaths have put a spotlight on Shedd, and, as Kenny writes, “renew scrutiny of a deeper problem with aquariums.” To find out more, read his latest.
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—Paige Vega, editorial director
