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Harbour Porpoise Daisy Dies at Vancouver Aquarium

Vancouver Aquarium has lost yet another high-profile marine animal. Daisy, a harbour porpoise, died at Vancouver Aquarium on Thursday.

Daisy was rescued by Vancouver Aquarium in 2008, and she was just a month old at that time.

According to the aquarium staff, Daisy was receiving round the clock care after caretakers noticed a change in her behavior earlier this month. The cause of death was not known.

Death of Daisy is a setback to aquarium staff. Last fall, a mother and daughter belugas—named Qila and Aurora—had died within weeks. Now, the aquarium is left with only two cetaceans – Helen, a Pacific white-side dolphin and Chester, a false killer.

The aquarium has also decided to legally challenge the park board’s decision of imposing a ban on the display of cetaceans—whales, dolphins and porpoises—from its facility. The aquarium argues that the park board doesn’t have the statutory power to enact the bylaw. Moreover, the park’s decision also renders a $100 million aquarium upgrade obsolete. According to the aquarium, $45 million of public and private funding has already been spent on the upgrade.

The Vancouver Aquarium is a public aquarium located in Stanley Park in Vancouver, British Columbia. It is officially known as the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre. The aquarium is a major tourist attraction of Vancouver and also serves as a centre for marine research, conservation and marine animal rehabilitation. In October 2009 the Vancouver Aquarium got the status of a Coastal America Learning Center by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Giving this designation was intended to strengthen the Canadian/U.S. partnership for protecting and restoring shared ocean resources.