THE PROVINCE, Thursday, July 21, 2005
Latest News

Beluga Tuvaq's death remains a mystery

Aquarium officials still have no idea what killed Tuvaq, the beluga whale that would have turned three yesterday.

Spokeswoman Brenda Jones said the latest blood-test results failed to indicate the cause of death. Results of a necropsy performed Sunday, the day the whale died, also failed to reveal the cause. Tests to detect viral and fungal infections will take time, Jones said.

"It still could be a good three weeks before we know, if we know," she said. "It's not easy on staff to not know."

Staff are also awaiting results of tests performed on beluga Allua before going ahead with plans to ship her to SeaWorld San Diego on an indefinite breeding loan at the end of the month.
© The Vancouver Province 2005

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Letters | Send a letter to the editor
Beluga is an Inuit delicacy

Vancouver Province

July 21, 2005

I am an Inuk from Nunavik who happened to be visiting the Vancouver Aquarium on Sunday right after the death of the beluga, Tuvaq.

Tuvaq in Inuttitut means "large ice sheet."

It is absolutely wrong to keep in captivity these mammals that form part of the Inuit diet. They are a delicacy to our people and are not for entertainment.

If the government controls the number of whales hunted by the Inuit, a practice we've carried out for hundreds of thousands of years, it must also ban the continued captivity of these whales.

Why have culture and values been thrown out the window for the sake of money and profit?

Let's all take another look at the values we are teaching our children and grandchildren.

Jeannie May,

Kuujjuaq, Nunavik
© The Vancouver Province 2005
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