Science | beluga whale Stray Penny, Pebbles Kill Baby Whale Nala's airway became blocked at Vancouver Aquarium By Nick McMaster Posted Jun 23, 2010 5:34 PM CDT Copied In this 2009 file photo, Vancouver Aquarium's baby beluga whale, Nala, and her mother, Aurora, swim. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Jonathan Hayward, File) Sad news from the Vancouver Aquarium: A baby beluga whale is dead after her airway became blocked by a buildup of debris including pebbles and a penny. The stones are part of the aquarium, but it's unclear how the penny got in there and why Nala wasn't able to expel it. A congenital defect is one possibility. "A very, very strange finding, one that we certainly did not suspect," said an aquarium vet. "Obviously the penny is a little concerning and we are going to try to figure out where that came from." The CBC and Vancouver Sun have more details about Nala, who is the second beluga to die at the aquarium in 5 years. Read These Next It's the NRA vs. the NRA Foundation. President Trump just got offered a Nobel Peace Prize. Russia tried to protect the tanker, but the US managed to seize it. House to override first two vetoes of Trump's second term. Report an error