On Friday, a one-month-old beluga whale calf born at the Georgia Aquarium died. The calf died many days after showing signs of extreme distress.

According to the Georgia Aquarium, the female calf died on Friday morning next to her mother and it was the first ‘viable calf’ that was delivered from parents born in captivity.

According to officials, a necropsy will be conducted; however, it is difficult to find out the exact reason behind death of the calf. This calf and her parents never swam in an ocean whereas belugas are able to dive to depths of 3,300 feet in their natural environment. Mother of the calf was born at the New York Aquarium. The calf’s father was born at SeaWorld San Antonio. Maris delivered a female calf in 2012 that died some days after birth.

Chief aquarium vet Gregory Bossart said on Thursday that the beluga whale calf was in ‘extremely guarded condition’ after it did not gain significant weight since her birth. The officials said they were not successful in their efforts to save the calf by supplementing her caloric needs with formula.

According to Bossart, senior vice-president for the Aquarium, "Preliminary diagnostics, including consultation from veterinary specialists, indicated that the calf had gastrointestinal issues that were preventing her from properly absorbing and assimilating nutrients that she needed to grow and thrive".

According to Georgia Aquarium CEO Mike Leven, it has been recognized that death is related to the natural cycle of life; however, it is a great loss for the complete aquarium team.