Poor little guy...

Terribly sad news from the Georgia Aquarium yesterday:

ATLANTA -- Gasper, one of the Georgia Aquarium's five prized beluga whales, was euthanized Tuesday morning after months of declining health, officials said. The 17-year-old whale had been ill before arriving at the aquarium in October 2005, officials said. He and his tankmate Niko had been moved to Atlanta from an amusement park in Mexico City, where Gasper had developed skin lesions while living in a tank under a roller coaster.

I actually went to the Georgia Aquarium just last week and saw the other four (Niko, Natasha, Maris, and Marina), who seemed to be in good health. One took a spectacular bathroom break right next to the glass wall, which thrilled the dozens of kids who were positioned with a tour guide right in front of it. Not to endorse the musical stylings of Raffi, but let's all sing a chorus of "Baby Beluga" in honor of Gasper...