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Shedd Aquarium (formally the John G. Shedd Aquarium) is an indoor public aquarium in Chicago. Opened on May 30, 1930, the aquarium holds about 32,000 animals. It is the third largest aquarium in the Western Hemisphere (after the Georgia Aquarium and The Seas at Epcot) and the 11th-largest aquarium in the world.
The Shedd Aquarium is a highly-ranked world aquarium and at one time was the largest indoor facility in the world. It is the first inland aquarium with a permanent seawater fish collection. The aquarium is located along Lake Michigan in the city's Museum Campus, which also includes other highly-ranked institutions such as Adler Planetarium and the Field Museum of Natural History.
In 2015, the Shedd Aquarium had 2.02 million visitors. It was the most visited aquarium in the Western Hemisphere in 2005, and in 2007, became the most visited cultural institution in Chicago. The aquarium contains 1,500 species, including fish, marine mammals, birds, snakes, amphibians, and insects. The aquarium received awards for "best exhibit" from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) for Seahorse Symphony in 1999, Amazon Rising in 2001, and Wild Reef in 2004. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987.
The aquarium cost $3 million to build (equivalent to $ in ), and initially included 132 exhibit tanks. Groundbreaking took place on November 2, 1927, and construction was completed on December 19, 1929; the first exhibits opened on May 30, 1930. As one of the first inland aquariums in the world, the Shedd had to rely on a custom-made railroad car, the Nautilus, for the transport of fish and seawater. The Nautilus lasted until 1959.
In 1930, 20 railroad made eight round trips between Key West and Chicago to transport of seawater for the Shedd's seawater exhibits. In 1933, Chicago hosted its second world's fair, the Century of Progress. The Aquarium was located immediately north of the fairgrounds, and the museum gained exposure to a large international crowd.
In 1971, Shedd Aquarium added one of its most popular exhibits, a exhibit reproducing a Caribbean coral reef. That same year, the aquarium acquired its first crewed research vessel, a 75-foot (23 m) boat for exploring the Caribbean, to conduct field research and collect specimens. In 1985, this boat was replaced with the aquarium's current vessel, the Coral Reef II. In 1987, Shedd Aquarium was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
John Shedd's grandson, John Shedd Reed, who had served as president of Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad from 1967 to 1986, was president of the aquarium's board from 1984 until 1994, and was a life trustee until his death in 2008. Ted A. Beattie served as president and CEO of the aquarium from 1994 until his retirement in 2016. Bridget C. Coughlin assumed duties as president and CEO of the company in the Spring of 2016.
Improving upon its predecessor inland aquarium, the Belle Isle Aquarium in Detroit, extensive use was made of designs by Mary Chase Perry Stratton, incorporating her custom-made Pewabic Pottery tile. The Oceanarium is done in a more modern style representing the Pacific Northwest, but one that blends with the older part of the building. "Whale Harbor", the Oceanarium's main tank, is backed by a wall of windows that look out onto Lake Michigan.
The main draw of this attraction is a shark tank with high curved windows, allowing visitors a diver's-eye view. The Wild Reef exhibit also features a saltwater tank display area where coral is propagated and grown for conservation purposes.
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The Oceanarium is the largest indoor marine mammal facility in the world. The Oceanarium also houses a 1,000-seat amphitheater which presents an educational marine mammal show. Several of the sea otters that lived in the aquarium in the past were rescued from the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989. In the fall of 2008, Shedd's Oceanarium was closed for preventive sealing as well as administrative upgrades. The animals in the exhibit area were temporarily moved to other zoos and aquariums until the exhibit reopened in May 2009.
Walter Chute, the aquarium's director from 1928 to 1964, wanted rare fish to attract the 10 million tourists expected to visit Chicago for the exposition in 1933. Granddad, an Australian lungfish, arrived at the Shedd in 1933, along with his mate, from Sydney during the Century of Progress world exposition. During the expo's run, they attracted about 4.5 million visitors.
At Granddad's death in 2017, he was claimed by the aquarium to be the oldest fish in any aquarium in the world. He was 109 years old; he weighed and was in length. His normal behavior was to lay like a sunken log on the bottom of his habitat.
Mauyak, Qannik, Miki, Kimalu, Annik: In 2000, Mauyak gave birth to Qannik, who was sent to Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma where he died in 2009. On August 16, 2007, Mauyak gave birth yet again to a male calf named Miki, the Inuit word for ″small″ bringing the total number of successful beluga calf births at the aquarium to four since 1999. Miki has been moved to the Mystic Aquarium in 2016. On August 27, 2012, Mauyak gave birth to a female calf, Kimalu. On July 3, 2019, Mauyak gave birth to a male calf, Annik, bringing the total number of belugas at Shedd to eight. Mauyak died on Saturday, November 12, 2022.
Immiayuk, Kayavak is one of the most famous residents of the Oceanarium. The whale became an orphan at only nearly five months old after her mother, Immiayuk, died. Trainers fed Kayavak fish, cared for her day and night, taught her how to "be a whale", and she thrived to be the healthy adult she is today.
Puiji, Bella, and Nunavik: In 2006, the beluga whale Puiji gave birth to a female calf, later named Bella. On December 14, 2009, she gave birth to a 162-pound, five-foot, four-inch male calf. Although it was a difficult birth, the calf survived and debuted to the public on Sunday, January 24, 2010. He has since been named "Nunavik" meaning "friendly, beautiful, and wild". Nunavik currently lives at the Georgia Aquarium as of 2016. Puiji died on Wednesday, October 26, 2011, following a seizure after having been undergoing treatment for an undisclosed medical condition over the course of several months.
Naluark: Naluark was transferred to Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration in Mystic, Connecticut, in October 2011. He has since been moved to SeaWorld Orlando in 2016.
Naya: Naya first arrived at Shedd Aquarium in 1992. She has since had four calves. Her first was a stillborn in 2002. She then gave birth on December 20, 2009 to a 162-pound, five-foot two-inch male calf, though the calf died two days later from complications during birth. In 2020, Naya gave birth to premature twins. The first calf, a female born head first, survived being born. The second calf, born tail first, was a stillborn. Unfortunately, because the calves were premature twins, the first calf had multiple health issues and died 15 days later despite being in the care of staff members.
Kenai ( Exxon Valdez oil spill survivor) was euthanized on October 9, 2012, due to failing health brought on by advancing years.
Kachemak (oldest sea otter in a North American Aquarium/Zoo) was euthanized on August 24, 2013, due to failing health related to age.
Seldovia (M) arrived at the Shedd Aquarium on November 29th, 2023. He is currently the only Alaskan sea otter at Shedd and shares his habitat with the Southern sea otters.
Males Sagu and Makoa were conceived by Li'i at the Miami Seaquarium when Piquet was on a breeding loan there. Piquet gave birth to Sagu on Memorial Day weekend in 2012. Piquet gave birth to her second calf, Makoa, on June 1, 2015. Piquet was moved to Miami Seaquarium in early 2018 for a breeding loan and Ipo was transferred to Shedd to take her place. Piquet was later transferred back in May of 2019. In August of that year, she miscarried a calf sired by Li'i. Ipo and Piquet were moved to SeaWorld San Antonio in October of 2020. Sagu died in May of 2021.
Kri has lived at the Shedd Aquarium on and off since 1991. She was transferred to the Mystic Aquarium in 2009 due to construction on Shedd's oceanarium, and the Miami Seaquarium in 2013 for a breeding loan. Kri had a stillborn calf in 2003 that was sired through artificial insemination.
Katrl first arrived along with Piquet to Shedd Aquarium in 1993. On April 18, 2016, Katrl gave birth to a male calf sired by Li'i. The calf was placed on display on June 18, 2016, and was named Kukdlaa, meaning "Bubbles" in the Tlingit language. Kukdlaa died in 2019. Harmony was born to Katrl and Sagu on August 31, 2020, hours after a rare twin beluga birth.
Loke and her then 5-year-old son Elelo arrived to Shedd Aquarium on August 3, 2023 after living off-display at the Miami Seaquarium for Elelo's entire life. The move was a result of several USDA reports that noted Miami Seaquarium's poor facility state. It is unknown if the two will be transferred back, as the Miami Seaquarium's remaining Pacific white-sided dolphin, Li'i, was transferred to SeaWorld San Antonio in September of 2023.
Researchers believed she could no longer live in the wild, so she was brought to Shedd in the spring of 2003. Upon her arrival, she went through several medical examinations, including an x-ray. The x-ray revealed a 1975 nickel lodged in her throat, which provided her namesake. She serves as an example to aquarium visitors of the effects human activities can have on wildlife.
Euthanized on October 29, 2013, due to age related health issues, Rio was 21 and lived well past the median life expectancy of a North American river otter.
Bubba, a male Queensland grouper, was believed to be the first fish to undergo chemotherapy. He was introduced to the aquarium in 1987 and died in 2006.
Deadeye, a female Atlantic tarpon, was the oldest fish to reside at the Caribbean Reef in the aquarium. She was first introduced to the aquarium in 1935 and died in 1998.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) designated the Shedd Aquarium as its Center for Species Survival:Freshwater, to study and promote the conservation and restoration of global freshwater systems, and strategies for freshwater species survival.
The aquarium also partners with conservation efforts in the Caribbean and Southeast Asia. The Bahamian rock iguana is one of the most endangered lizards in the world. Since 1994, the Shedd Aquarium has been studying and providing conservation plans for this iguana. The Shedd Aquarium is now recognized as the lead authority on this iguana. In Southeast Asia, the Shedd partners with Project Seahorse to monitor and map out the seahorse populations in Southeast Asia.
Since 1991, the Shedd Aquarium has been involved with research focused on beluga whales. They focus on the animal handling procedures to ensure the animals’ welfare. The aquarium conducts most of their beluga whale research in Bristol Bay in southwest Alaska.
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