The Invisible Hellbender

Gather ’round and listen to my tale of Shedd Aquarium’s most mysterious animal, the invisible hellbender.

What’s a hellbender, you say? Why, it’s a phantom amphibian, a salamander up to 2 feet long, wrinkled, slimy and beady-eyed, given to making its home under rocks in clear, fast-flowing streams. And while it has lungs, it never has to come up for air. Legend has it hellbenders cavort with trolls and troglodytes on moonless nights.

Shedd saddened by loss of beluga whale

The Shedd Aquarium family is mourning the loss of Puiji, one of the original animals in our beluga group. The 25-year-old whale died Wednesday evening. Puiji had been part of Shedd’s animal collection since 1989 and was here when the Oceanarium opened.

Ken Ramirez, executive vice president of animal care and training, said that his staff and the animal health team had been monitoring Puiji for several months because of a health issue that they were treating.

Recipe of the Week: Old Bay Spiced Shrimp Salad

The last week of October means one last recipe to celebrate National Seafood Month! Your seafood choices can have a big impact on the health of our waters worldwide, which is why we share sustainable seafood recipes that are good for you and for our planet. This week's recipe is courtesy of Shedd Right Bite partner Cleetus Friedman of City Provisions. He whipped up this tasty domestic shrimp salad to show his passion for ocean-friendly fare.

Animal Encounters of the Spooky Kind

It’s the season for ghoulies, ghosties, long-leggedy beasties and things that go bump in the night. So just in time for Halloween and our Oct. 28 Spooky Seas family overnight, meet this trio of long-leggedy, short-leggedy and no-leggedy beasties. They’re among the stars of our daily live-animal encounters. 

Recipe of the Week: Sautéed Barramundi with Baby Clams and Summer Vegetables

Week three of National Seafood Month brings another delicious recipe for you to try! Your seafood choices can have a big impact on the health of our waters worldwide, so Shedd is dedicated to helping you make seafood decisions that are good for you and for our planet. This week’s recipe is courtesy of longtime Shedd Right Bite partner Chef Dean Zanella of Rhapsody. Try his delicious sautéed barramundi with baby clams and summer vegetables, which serves two.

Recipe of the Week: Mediterranean Trout Burgers with Arugula, Tzatziki and Pickled Onions

Because October is National Seafood Month, each week Shedd will share a sustainable seafood recipe that's good for you and good for our planet. To learn more about how your seafood choices can have a big impact on the health of our waters worldwide, visit the Right Bite page on our website. This week’s recipe is courtesy of Shedd Right Bite partner Dirk’s Fish & Gourmet Shop. We recently tasted these Mediterranean trout burgers at the Green City Market BBQ and can’t wait to make them at home!

October Fish of the Month: Lake Whitefish (trap-net)

More and more, families are spending their weekends at farmer’s markets, savoring handpicked berries, heirloom tomatoes and free-range chicken, all fresh from a farm within arm’s reach. Lately I have been asking myself, where are the Midwestern fish? What happened to the local enthusiasts, like my grandfather, who would only eat fish if it was yellow perch and Friday?

A Root Canal for Kenai

During sea otter Kenai’s head-to-tail annual physical exam last year, the veterinary team noticed a crack in her left upper canine tooth. “So we took digital radiographs of the teeth and skull,” says Dr. Lisa Naples, one of Shedd’s veterinarians and section chief of conservation medicine. “Just like when you go to the dentist, when they do their routine radiographs of your teeth, they can see if a tooth is healthy or not.”