A dolphin that was rescued from the now closed Marineland Canada has died at an aquarium in Spain, just weeks after being moved.
Oceanogràfic València, which is the largest aquarium in Europe, announced on Thursday that the dolphin named Echo had passed away. According to the aquarium, Echo arrived from Marineland with serious health challenges, including major vision problems and blindness that needed special care.
The aquarium said Echo was placed in its medical pool and treated by vets after she started showing signs of breathing difficulties and trouble swallowing. Her condition got worse quickly throughout Wednesday and she died that same night.
Staff at the facility and pathologists from a nearby university will carry out an autopsy to find out what caused her death.
Echo was one of four dolphins moved from Marineland Canada to Oceanogràfic València. The aquarium said the other three dolphins are doing well and are still improving under veterinary care.
Her death comes shortly after another animal from Marineland died at the same facility. A beluga whale known as Jelly Bean died at Oceanogràfic València in July. The aquarium said it is still investigating the cause of death.
Marineland Canada closed down in 2024 after its owners died, but the park still held on to its animals, including dolphins and 30 beluga whales. By October 2025, the park warned that the animals might have to be euthanized if they were not relocated.
In July 2026, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced a plan to move the animals. Under the plan, 28 belugas were sent to accredited aquariums in the United States, while two others were transferred to Oceanogràfic València in Spain.
Several other whales rescued from Marineland have also died recently. At Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, three belugas taken from Marineland died within a month of each other, raising concerns about how sick the animals were before the rescue. A fourth beluga that had lived at Shedd for many years also died recently.
Even before its closure, Marineland Canada was facing criticism over animal welfare. Since 2019, twenty whales, including 19 belugas, died at the park. Inspectors had earlier found that all animals at the park were in distress because of poor water quality. In a letter to U.S. aquariums, NOAA described the Marineland whales as “health-compromised.”
Both Oceanogràfic València and Shedd Aquarium say they are conducting medical examinations to determine the exact causes of death.
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