Maris was born in 1994. She was born at the New York Aquarium. In 2005, she became one of the first beluga whales to have arrived at the Georgia Aquarium. However, after 10 years of staying in particular aquarium, Maris gave up the fight. She died at the age of 21.
Aquarium chief veterinary officer Dr. Gregory Bossart, in a news release, said that Maris' death was sudden because the beluga whale did not show any sign of illness. The news release also said she was eating normally and was even interacting with two other captive beluga whales - Grayson and Qinu.
Mike Leven, the aquarium's executive director and CEO, also said in a statement that 'Maris was one of the first beluga whales at Georgia Aquarium and inspired millions of guests each year'.
University of Georgia pathologists and the aquarium are performing a necropsy. The results, officials say, should be available in the next several weeks.
Their life expectancy is said to be 35 to 50 years of age in the wild, according to estimates by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration experts.
However, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) believed Maris died because of her being a captive animal.
'Maris was denied her freedom her entire life. She was transferred from one facility to another, and her babies died, one after the other. Whether or not she had a physical ailment that went unnoticed, she was killed by captivity, plain and simple', PETA senior vice president Lisa Lange said.
In defence, the Georgia Aquarium says the studying belugas in human care allows them and the researchers to expand their knowledge of belugas in the wild. According to a statement in their website: 'The data can be combined and applied to help conserve and protect wild belugas from threats in their natural habitats'.
Maris lived at the aquarium for 10 years, and had a calf this year that died in June shortly after birth.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
