After the next few weeks, there will be no more whales in captivity in Canada. It’s a long, slow process to safely transfer the remining belugas from Marineland in the Niagara Falls to aquariums in the U.S..
From captivity to captivity doesn’t sound like a great deal for the whales. But when you look at what they’ve been through, they’re definitely getting an upgrade.
The Marineland story has taken several twists and turns over the last 15 years. Now, it seems to finally be winding down. Let’s hope.
When we were kids, everyone who came to stay with us got a trip to Marineland. Its catchy radio jingle sang, “Everyone loves Marineland!” And for a time, everyone did. Back then, we thought more about our ability to see the animals and less about what it was like for the creatures to lose their freedom. It was a rite of passage to have deer crowd around to get a morsel from your .25 cup of kibble. Getting splashed at the aquatic show was all part of the fun.
Everyone Stopped Loving Marineland
At one time, the park had 4,000 mammals plus a dozen or so rides including roller coasters. A Toronto Star investigation in 2010 revealed problems with the care of some animals, including reports from former trainers about poor conditions. The Ontario government cracked down on inadequate care of black bears and other land mammals, while the federal government brought in a law forbidding the new captivity and breeding of whales and dolphins. Public opinion of Marineland dove faster than a penguin going after a fish.
The last orca there died in 2023. She lived her final 12 years completely alone. The park’s legacy will be one of irresponsibility and poor decision-making instead of decades of family fun.
Last year, park officials applied for a permit to send the last beluga whales to China but it was denied. The government said it wasn’t good enough. They’d go from captivity to captivity on the other side of the world. Marineland responded that they’d have no other choice but to euthanize the whales. The park has been for sale since 2023 and its founders have died. They were having trouble keeping up with feed for the deer. So much so that reports claim you could pull up with a pickup and take a few deer away if you wanted, no questions asked.
Belugas Beyond Borders
The government eased up and the transfers started this summer. Seaworld in San Antonio, Texas has just accepted seven female beluga whales. They follow three males who arrived a few weeks ago. Seaworld has its own problems with its reputation and is trying to transition into more of a rescue and research centre than a destination to see captive whales doing tricks. The new adoptees are in a private area, sectioned off from other whales until they’re eating properly and showing signs that they’re adapting. It’s not perfect, but at least they’re being fed and cared for and no one’s threatening to kill them over a lack of resources. More whales are going to Chicago and to Spain.
Moving whales is a massive and delicate operation. When Spain received two belugas a few years ago I talked to someone involved. Flatbeds with special tanks transported the whales to the airport. Huge slings raised them into tanks in giant cargo aircraft. They were harnessed for the ride and a veterinarian was with them the whole way. Whales look formidable but moving them this way is very risky.
There’s so much more to the Marineland story but none of it is positive. The rest of the whales will be transported to other facilities later this month. Then maybe someone will buy the park and do something better with it. Or maybe it will be left to decay and rot as a reminder that sentient creatures ought never be held in captivity. As a child, I didn’t know any better. It never occured to us that one day we would grow up and, if we wanted, could travel to where these beautiful mammals lived and watch them from a distance. It’s so much kinder to watch a whale breach and dive when it chooses to. There’s simply no comparison between the beauty of nature when it’s measured against jumping in a tank to retrieve a fish.