'Beloved' Beluga Whale Dies at Connecticut Aquarium: 'Our Hearts Are Just Heavy'

Kharabali was one of five beluga whales transferred to Mystic Aquarium in May 2021 from Marineland in Niagara Falls

A 9-year-old beluga whale died at Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, Conn., on Monday, the aquarium announced on Tuesday.

The whale, named Kharabali, began swimming abnormally and behaving strangely in November and was transferred to the aquarium's Animal Study Center to be monitored by veterinarians around the clock, Mystic Aquarium revealed in a press statement obtained by PEOPLE.

Though she received specialized care and life-saving efforts were administered, she died after 11 days at the center.

Kharabali was one of five beluga whales transferred to the Mystic Aquarium in May 2021 from Marineland in Niagara Falls, Ontario. She's the third from the group to die.

A male beluga whale named Havok died in August 2021, and a female named Havana died in February 2022. Both Havok and Havana had "underlying incurable conditions which led to their deaths," Mystic Aquarium's initial statement shared.

In an exclusive statement to PEOPLE, Meagan Seacor, Mystic Aquarium's vice president of external relations, said that the vets and trainers at the facility "love these animals like I love my daughter," adding, "Right now, our hearts are just heavy."

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She described the love and care given to the animals as "palpable" and called it "a privilege to watch."

"It's a hard love to explain if you don't see it," Seacor concluded. The aquarium is waiting on necropsy results to determine Kharabali's cause of death.

A representative for Marineland released a statement of gratitude to Mystic Aquarium following Kharabali's death.

"We cannot thank Mystic Aquarium enough. They provide exceptional care for beluga whales, and despite being amid the challenges of COVID-19, in May 2021, Mystic Aquarium took these five whales on for us to provide the world-class care and expertise they needed," the statement read. "This collaboration underscores the global community's shared responsibility for animal welfare. Marineland is deeply thankful for Mystic Aquarium's professionalism and tireless efforts in safeguarding the health and happiness of these beloved marine creatures."

After Havok died in 2021, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspected Mystic Aquarium's care of its beluga whales and discovered issues that it reported to the facility. ABC News reported that the aquarium made changes to address the USDA's findings.

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Seacor wrote in a statement to PEOPLE that Mystic Aquarium didn't agree with the USDA's 2021 findings but made adjustments based on the department's feedback.

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"We have had four inspections since early 2022, all without noncompliant findings (clean report). Pathology reports have confirmed that both Havok and Havana had incurable, likely genetic, diseases that were unrelated to any of the citations received," the statement concluded.

Dr. Allison Tuttle, the chief zoological officer of Mystic Aquarium, shared some words about Kharabali in the aquarium's original statement announcing the beluga whale's death.

"Her spirit touched us all, and we are heartbroken by her passing. Kharabali received the utmost care and love during her time with us, and we will always cherish the moments we shared," Dr. Turttle said. 

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