Beluga whales safely arrive to Chicago's Shedd Aquarium in 'urgent rescue'

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago is part of a complex and "urgent rescue" of some endangered beluga whales.

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Four whales arrived to the Shedd Aquarium after being rescued from Canada.

The sea animals were moved out of Marineland of Canada, a now closed park in Ontario.

The belugas were transported both by truck and plane.

The four rescues are all female and were chosen to move together in a sub-pod.

The Shedd welcomed Acadia, 27, Osiris, 26, Sierra, 26, Lillooet, who is 21 years old.

"As with any of our animals, the best indicator of well-being is individual and social behavior," said Charlie Jacobsma, director of animal behavior and training at Shedd Aquarium. "We are watching closely for the rescued belugas to eat a full diet, socialize with one another, and investigate the habitat, which are encouraging signs of their progress. We are cautiously optimistic as we start to see some of those initial indicators, and our dedicated team will continue to monitor throughout this process to acclimatize the belugas to their new home, caretakers and pod."

Shedd Aquarium says it can help up to 10 beluga whales as part of the rescue effort in its Abbott Oceanarium.