Marineland Of Canada
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Marineland (official name Marineland of Canada Inc.), is a themed
zoo A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility in which animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for Conservation biology, conservation purposes. The term ''zoological g ...
and
amusement park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...
in
Niagara Falls Niagara Falls () is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the border between the province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York in the United States. The largest of the three is Horseshoe Falls, ...
,
Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
, Canada. The park has performing
marine animal Marine life, sea life, or ocean life is the plants, animals and other organisms that live in the salt water of seas or oceans, or the brackish water of coastal estuaries. At a fundamental level, marine life affects the nature of the planet. M ...
shows, sea mammal and land animal exhibits, and amusement rides. It keeps dolphins, sea lions, an orca, and beluga whales. The park also keeps bears, deer, and other land animals. It was founded and operated by John Holer, a
Slovenian Slovene or Slovenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Slovenia, a country in Central Europe * Slovene language, a South Slavic language mainly spoken in Slovenia * Slovenes The Slovenes, also known as Slovenians ( sl, Sloven ...
immigrant, from 1961 until his death in 2018. It is privately owned-and-operated by his family. The park's keeping of
sea mammals Marine mammals are aquatic mammals that rely on the ocean and other marine ecosystems for their existence. They include animals such as seals, whales, manatees, sea otters and polar bears. They are an informal group, unified only by their re ...
is controversial, and the park is involved in several lawsuits related to the practice. The keeping of the sea mammals is opposed by animal rights activists and Marineland has been the site of numerous animal rights demonstrations.


Facility

Marineland of Canada keeps about 4,000 land and marine animals. Marineland operates 16 rides ranging from rides for children, to thrill rides for adults. The marine animals perform several times daily at King Waldorf Stadium. The park does not release annual attendance figures. Published amounts range from 250,000 to 500,000 annually. In 2020, however, the facility did not open in spring as planned because of the restrictions required by the COVID-19 pandemic. The park planned to reopen on July 17, with precautions to minimize the risk of spreading the virus. However, since the Ontario Government was not allowing amusement parks to open, the facility remained closed. Marineland is a former member of Canada's Accredited Zoos and Aquariums (CAZA). The company "voluntarily and temporarily" withdrew from CAZA in May 2017, stating it was expanding the area for animals and "will be continuing to work with CAZA to ensure that the expansion is successfully harmonized with CAZA principles".


Marine exhibits

Marineland keeps
beluga whale The beluga whale () (''Delphinapterus leucas'') is an Arctic and sub-Arctic cetacean. It is one of two members of the family Monodontidae, along with the narwhal, and the only member of the genus ''Delphinapterus''. It is also known as the whi ...
s,
bottlenose dolphin Bottlenose dolphins are aquatic mammals in the genus ''Tursiops.'' They are common, cosmopolitan members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphins. Molecular studies show the genus definitively contains two species: the common ...
s,
grey seal The grey seal (''Halichoerus grypus'') is found on both shores of the North Atlantic Ocean. In Latin Halichoerus grypus means "hook-nosed sea pig". It is a large seal of the family Phocidae, which are commonly referred to as "true seals" or " ...
s,
harbour seal The harbor (or harbour) seal (''Phoca vitulina''), also known as the common seal, is a true seal found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere. The most widely distributed species of pinniped (walruses, eared sea ...
s,
penguin Penguins (order (biology), order List of Sphenisciformes by population, Sphenisciformes , family (biology), family Spheniscidae ) are a group of Water bird, aquatic flightless birds. They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere: on ...
s,
sea lion Sea lions are pinnipeds characterized by external ear flaps, long foreflippers, the ability to walk on all fours, short and thick hair, and a big chest and belly. Together with the fur seals, they make up the family Otariidae, eared seals. ...
s, two
walruses The walrus (''Odobenus rosmarus'') is a large flippered marine mammal with a discontinuous distribution about the North Pole in the Arctic Ocean and subarctic seas of the Northern Hemisphere. The walrus is the only living species in the fami ...
(Smooshi and her calf Koyuk), and one
orca The orca or killer whale (''Orcinus orca'') is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family, of which it is the largest member. It is the only Extant taxon, extant species in the genus ''Orcinus'' and is recognizable by its black ...
(Kiska). The belugas are kept in Arctic Cove, Friendship Cove and King Waldorf Stadium. As of August 2021, Marineland had 40 belugas. Kiska is the only orca at Marineland. A 2012 report stated that Marineland was then looking for a companion for their orca. Since then, it appears that Kiska will be the last orca that the park will own. On May 28, 2015, the
Legislative Assembly of Ontario The Legislative Assembly of Ontario (OLA, french: Assemblée législative de l'Ontario) is the legislative chamber of the Canadian province of Ontario. Its elected members are known as Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs). Bills passed by ...
passed the ''Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Amendment Act''. The act prohibits the possession or breeding of orcas in Ontario while allowing Marineland to keep its orca. Marineland has stated its opposition to moving Kiska, preferring to import "an age-appropriate companion", not allowed under the Ontario law. *Friendship Cove: This exhibit was built for the display of orca whales and now also houses belugas. According to Marineland, it is the world's largest whale habitat for viewing above ground and below. Friendship Cove currently holds one orca: Kiska (female, currently age 42). There are three pools in Friendship Cove. In pool A, there are 12 belugas: Burnaby, Eve, Horus, Jellybean, Orion, Qila, Neva, Mira, Osiris, Rain and Tuk. Pool B is the habitat for Kiska and pool C is a medical pool that Kiska uses. *Arctic Cove: Is the main beluga whale exhibit. The design of the exhibit allows viewing above and below ground. Guests also have the opportunity to pet and feed the beluga whales for a fee. These interaction sessions occur throughout the day. There are three pools in Arctic Cove: two habitat pools and a medical pool. There are 24 belugas in pool A: Andre, Kodiak, Tank, Isis and Titan, Skyla, Jetta, Ivy, Acadia and Sahara, Aurora, Kharabali, Frankie, Xavier, Ruby, Yara, Wink, Gemini, Secord, Havok, Lillooet, Nahanni, Kelowna and Skara. There are 14 belugas in pool B: Xena and Calf, Sierra and Calf, Jubilee and Calf, Meeka and Calf, Peekachu and Calf, Caspian and Calf, and Cleo and Calf. *King Waldorf Stadium: Opened on July 1, 1971, this is the main stadium where marine animals perform. The show has sea lions, a walrus, orca whales and bottlenose dolphins. There are four habitat pools. In the left side pool are five dolphins: Tsunami, Echo, Lida, Sonar and Marina. In the right side pool, two belugas are kept: Charmin and Tofino. In the two backstage areas, there are five female California sea lions: Holly, Malibu, Sydney, Maui and Cleveland. In the other backstage area is the walrus Smooshi. *Aquarium Dome: This facility, opened in 1966, is now home to penguins. It also includes a
koi or more specifically , are colored varieties of the Amur carp ('' Cyprinus rubrofuscus'') that are kept for decorative purposes in outdoor koi ponds or water gardens. Koi is an informal name for the colored variants of ''C. rubrofuscus'' ke ...
pond. *Warehouse: This area has a four-quadrant pool area, along with a separate pool currently used to house dolphins during the winter months. Marineland has several animals off exhibit from King Waldorf Theatre. This structure was added in the mid-1970s. There are five California sea lions: Holly, Malibu, Sydney, Maui, Cleveland; a walrus Smooshi, and five dolphins in winter: Lida, Echo, Tsunami, Sonar and Marina. File:Killer Whale at Marineland.jpg, One of the orcas (Nootka 5) File:Deer at Marineland.jpg, Deer File:Feeding Priscilla.jpg, Feeding a beluga named Priscilla File:Killer Whale Kiss.jpg, Orcas during performance (orca is Athena)


Splash park

*Polar Splash - Opened in 2019


Land animals

Marineland has many animals throughout the park that are not
cetacea Cetacea (; , ) is an infraorder of aquatic mammals that includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Key characteristics are their fully aquatic lifestyle, streamlined body shape, often large size and exclusively carnivorous diet. They propel them ...
ns or
pinniped Pinnipeds (pronounced ), commonly known as seals, are a widely distributed and diverse clade of carnivorous, fin-footed, semiaquatic, mostly marine mammals. They comprise the extant families Odobenidae (whose only living member is the walru ...
s. Marineland has carried over these animals from its days as a 'game farm'. *Bear Country: an area featuring black bears sits below a viewing deck, where visitors can throw
Corn Pops Corn Pops is a puffed grain breakfast cereal made by Kellogg's, described by the company as "crunchy sweetened popped-up corn cereal." The cereal was introduced in 1950 as "Corn Pops". In 1951, the name was changed to "Sugar Corn Pops" and later ...
cereal (originally
marshmallows Marshmallow (, ) is a type of confectionery that is typically made from sugar, water and gelatin whipped to a solid-but-soft consistency. It is used as a filling in baking or normally molded into shapes and coated with corn starch. The sugar c ...
) to them. *Deer Park: European Fallow Deer are in a fenced-in area which allows people to move about freely. Food is provided for a fee. *Carp Pond: An area in which
carp Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish from the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. While carp is consumed in many parts of the world, they are generally considered an invasive species in parts of ...
and
koi or more specifically , are colored varieties of the Amur carp ('' Cyprinus rubrofuscus'') that are kept for decorative purposes in outdoor koi ponds or water gardens. Koi is an informal name for the colored variants of ''C. rubrofuscus'' ke ...
gather around "deck bridges", allowing easy viewing and feeding for a fee. *
Elk The elk (''Cervus canadensis''), also known as the wapiti, is one of the largest species within the deer family, Cervidae, and one of the largest terrestrial mammals in its native range of North America and Central and East Asia. The common ...
and Buffalo: allow for easy viewing of these creatures grazing. Feeding also available for a fee.


Rides

Marineland has a collection of different rides, including a pair of roller coasters and a large launched free fall.


Defunct rides


History

The park was founded by John Holer, a Slovenian immigrant who had worked in circuses in Europe. Holer and a partner bought a portion of the
Harry Oakes Sir Harry Oakes, 1st Baronet (23 December 1874 – 7 July 1943) was a British gold mine owner, entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist. He earned his fortune in Canada and moved to the Bahamas in the 1930s for tax purposes. Though American by b ...
estate near the falls. The park opened in 1961 as "Marine Wonderland and Animal Farm". Holer welded two large steel tanks together and brought in three sea lions and charged one quarter for admission and another to feed the animals. The attraction also featured an underwater show featuring two female swimmers. In 1963, a trained sea lion "Jeff" escaped from Marine Wonderland and made it to the Niagara River and went over the falls. Holer offered a reward and organized a helicopter search. The seal was recaptured by Holer a few days later in
Queenston Queenston is a compact rural community and unincorporated place north of Niagara Falls in the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada. It is bordered by Highway 405 to the south and the Niagara River to the east; its location at the eponymo ...
, where it was found sunning itself with teenager Tommy Haines, who was given the reward. In 1964, Holer added two dolphins, along with a few other animals and the attraction became known as "Marineland And Game Farm". By 1966, a 2,000-seat "aquatheatre" was completed along with a "grotto" of aquariums and shops. The grotto in the new Aquarium Dome contained eight tanks used to display fresh-water fish. The park became a popular family attraction and recorded an annual attendance of 250,000 for the 1967 season. In 1968, the park added
alligator An alligator is a large reptile in the Crocodilia order in the genus ''Alligator'' of the family Alligatoridae. The two extant species are the American alligator (''A. mississippiensis'') and the Chinese alligator (''A. sinensis''). Additiona ...
s. Neighbouring attraction "Niagara Falls Indian Village" closed down after the 1968 season and Marineland purchased their property. In 1971, Marineland added orcas. "Kandu" became the park's major attraction. In 1973, the aquarium purchased "Kandy", a female orca captured off Vancouver Island in 1973, to mate with Kandu, but she died later that year. Kandu lived until 1979 and was replaced by "Nootka", captured and brought to the park in 1981. Nootka lived until 2008. By 1975, the park kept over 1,000 animals and claimed to be Niagara Falls' "most popular attraction after the falls." In 1975, Marineland became involved in a controversy over another orca captured off Vancouver Island. The capture of 'Kanduke' by the
Sealand of the Pacific Sealand of the Pacific was a public aquarium in South Oak Bay at The Oak Bay Marina, near the city of Victoria, in British Columbia, Canada. It housed a number of orcas: Haida, Nootka, and Tilikum. In 1991, all three were involved in an incident ...
aquarium of
Victoria, British Columbia Victoria is the capital city of the Canadian province of British Columbia, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of 91,867, and the Greater Victoria area has a population of 397,237. Th ...
, for purchase by Marineland was blocked by the
Government of British Columbia The Government of British Columbia (french: Gouvernement de la Colombie-Britannique) is the body responsible for the administration of the Canadian province of British Columbia. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown is the corporation sole, assumi ...
, at the instigation of
Greenpeace Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning network, founded in Canada in 1971 by Irving Stowe and Dorothy Stowe, immigrant environmental activists from the United States. Greenpeace states its goal is to "ensure the ability of the Earth t ...
activists. Claimed to be property by the BC government and resources by the
Government of Canada The government of Canada (french: gouvernement du Canada) is the body responsible for the federal administration of Canada. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown is the corporation sole, assuming distinct roles: the executive, as the ''Crown ...
, the orca eventually was transported to Marineland after it was determined that orcas were a resource under the control of the Canadian government. The incident led to the ending of the capture of orcas in British Columbia waters. In 1976, Marineland announced a expansion on 1,000 adjacent acres, to include a 400-acre "safari park" and amusement centre. Construction began on a new 15,000-seat stadium and pool for killer whales. Marineland purchased two locomotives for a steam train railroad. When plans for
Canada's Wonderland Canada's Wonderland, formerly known as Paramount Canada's Wonderland, is a amusement park located in Vaughan, Ontario, a municipality within the Greater Toronto Area. Opened in 1981 by the Taft Broadcasting Company and the Great-West Life As ...
were announced, Holer decided to further increase the park's expansion plans, adding a Gothic castle, canals and the world's largest roller coaster, for a total cost of . The "
Dragon Mountain Dragon Mountain is a steel roller coaster located at Marineland of Canada near Niagara Falls, Ontario. Built by Arrow Huss, it opened to the public on July 16, 1983. At its opening, it claimed to have the longest ride time of 3 minutes and 30 ...
" roller coaster opened in 1983 along with other rides. At a cost of , the roller coaster opened without reproductions of the American and Horseshoe falls, postponed to the future. In 1984, Holer announced the postponement of part of the expansion, citing an 86% increase in municipal property taxes, and threatened to move the facility across the river to the United States. In 1982, Marineland purchased Keiko, a killer whale, from an aquarium in
Hafnarfjörður Hafnarfjörður (), officially Hafnarfjarðarkaupstaður (), is a port town and municipality in Iceland, located about south of Reykjavík. The municipality consists of two non-contiguous areas in the Capital Region, on the southwest coast of t ...
, Iceland. Keiko started performing for the public and developed skin
lesion A lesion is any damage or abnormal change in the tissue of an organism, usually caused by disease or trauma. ''Lesion'' is derived from the Latin "injury". Lesions may occur in plants as well as animals. Types There is no designated classifi ...
s indicative of poor health. He was then sold for $350,000 to
Reino Aventura Reino Aventura ("Adventure Kingdom" in Spanish) was an amusement park located in Tlalpan in the south-western part of Mexico City. It opened to the public in March 1982 as the biggest amusement park in Latin America. History The park was close ...
(now named
Six Flags México Six Flags México is a amusement park located in the Tlalpan forest and borough, on the southern edge of Mexico City, Mexico. It is owned and operated by Six Flags, and is the most visited theme park in Latin America with 2.8 million annual visi ...
), an amusement park in Mexico City, in 1985. Keiko was the star of the movie ''
Free Willy ''Free Willy'' is a 1993 American family drama film, directed by Simon Wincer, produced by Lauren Shuler Donner and Jennie Lew Tugend, written by Keith A. Walker and Corey Blechman from a story by Walker and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures ...
'' in 1993. After spending 1996–1998 at
Oregon Coast Aquarium __NOTOC__ The Oregon Coast Aquarium is an aquarium in Newport in the U.S. state of Oregon. Opened in 1992, the facility sits on along Yaquina Bay near the Pacific Ocean. The aquarium was home to Keiko, the orca who starred in the movie ''Free ...
, Keiko was returned to a sea pen in Iceland and was released to the ocean in July 2002. He swam to Norway, eventually settling in the Taknes fjord in November 2002, where he was not catching fish and had little contact with wild Orcas; until his death, Keiko was fed daily by the Keiko Project group. Keiko died of pneumonia in December 2003. In 1986, an unidentified trainer was taken to the hospital after he fell off the park's male killer whale, Kandu 7, and was dragged by his leg around the pool during a trick. In 2001, Marineland added walruses to the marine mammals it kept. The first walrus was "Sonja", from the
Moscow Zoo The Moscow Zoo or Moskovsky Zoopark (russian: Московский зоопарк) is a zoo founded in 1864 by professor-biologists, K.F. Rulje, S.A. Usov and A.P. Bogdanov, from the Moscow State University. In 1919, the zoo was nationalized. In ...
. It was joined by "Zeus" and "Apollo" two months later and "Pandora", "Buttercup" and "Buddy" in 2002. Marineland added "Smooshi" and "Azul" in 2004. Sonja died in 2017, and Zeus died in 2018. In 2003, Marineland opened the "Arctic Cove" beluga whale exhibit. Beluga whales were held in Friendship Cove from May 30, 1999, until the opening of Arctic Cove in late 2003. Belugas returned to Friendship Cove in December 2008 following the importation of eight individuals. In 2014, several belugas were switched between Arctic Cove and Friendship Cove. In 2004, Marineland opened the "Sky Screamer" triple tower ride. In 2004, Marineland bought the Green Oaks Mobile Home Park across the street from the park with plans to relocate maintenance buildings to the site. In 2009, Marineland evicted 47 families that were tenants at the park. The tenants appealed to the Ontario Landlord and Tenant Board, lost their case and were ordered off the property by March 2010. One tenant committed suicide while others continued to fight Marineland but had to leave in 2011. Holer was ordered to pay $11,000 each to several tenants for harassment. Holer died on June 23, 2018, aged 82. He was praised as an "immigrant success story" by Senator Don Plett (Manitoba). Holer had been seriously ill for five months and died at his home on Chippewa Parkway. Holer was survived by his wife Marie and son Peter. Another son, John Mark Jr., died in 2013. The Mayor of Niagara Falls,
Jim Diodati James ( Jim Diodati ) is a Canadian politician, currently serving as mayor of Niagara Falls, Ontario. He was first elected in the 2010 municipal election, defeating incumbent mayor Ted Salci. Prior to his election to the mayoralty, Diodati se ...
, sees Marineland at a "crossroads" with three options: to continue the current business model, to sell its 1,000 acres of land to real estate developers, or to become an amusement park without animals. Diodati favours the latter option. Marineland's lawyer Andrew Burns said that there would be no immediate changes to the business. At the time of his death, Holer was working on a new aviary attraction for Marineland. According to testimony before a
Senate of Canada The Senate of Canada (french: region=CA, Sénat du Canada) is the upper house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the House of Commons, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada. The Senate is modelled after the B ...
committee in May 2017, the expansion was described as being one of the largest expansions Marineland has ever made. Holer himself described the overall park as only "half-developed." On opening day in May 2019, two deer died in a stampede in the deer enclosure, which was reopened for the 2019 season. According to Marineland, a father and son caused the stampede, laughed at staff, and refused to leave the enclosure, then slipped away while staff quieted the animals. Marineland closed the deer enclosure afterwards until modifications are implemented to prevent a future stampede. On May 22, it was announced that the 18-year-old walrus "Apollo" had died of heart failure. It was the fourth walrus to die at Marineland within two years, after "Zeus", "Buttercup" and "Sonja", and left Marineland with a single walrus, "Smooshi". In June, Marineland opened its new "Polar Splash" splash park attraction at a cost of million. In June 2019, Marineland signed a ten-year partnership agreement with the
Mystic Aquarium Mystic Aquarium is a marine aquarium in Mystic, Connecticut. It is one of only two U.S. facilities holding Steller sea lions, and it has the only beluga whales in New England. Special exhibits include a ray and shark touch pool, an African penguin ...
's Sea Research Foundation (a subsidiary of Ocean Wise Inc.) for beluga research. In September 2019, it was announced that Marineland had sold two beluga whales to Oceanographic, a Spanish facility owned by Ocean Wise Inc., with the permission of the Canadian government. Although Marineland opened for the 2020 season, the park could not open the rides due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
.


Animal rights issues

Since 2012, the park has been the subject of several allegations of poor conditions for its animals by former employees and animal activists have protested outside its gates on several occasions. The park has been inspected by the
Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society (Ontario SPCA) is a registered Canadian charity focused on animal protection and animal advocacy. The Ontario SPCA provides services in partnership with communities including provincial animal transferiAdoptan ...
(OSPCA) and Canada's Accredited Zoos and Aquariums (CAZA), many times over the years, some leading to orders issued by the OSPCA. In 2012, articles were published by the ''
Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part ...
'' alleging animal mistreatment, resulting in negative publicity. An inspection by the OSPCA and CAZA, however, found "no issues of concern". The ''Star'' reported that the OSPCA issued orders to Marineland to improve the water conditions for animals at the park and address specific issues with other animals, and that Marineland complied. In 2015, the Government of Ontario banned the practice of breeding and keeping orcas in captivity, while allowing the existing one to remain at Marineland. Marineland's orca lives without any social interaction with other orcas, but has not been moved. In November 2016 and January 2017, the OSPCA received a complaint from a former employee through the animal rights organization
Last Chance for Animals Last Chance for Animals (LCA) is an international non-profit organization that advocates for animal rights. It is known for its documentary, '' Dealing Dogs'', and for its investigations against the use of animals for testing purposes. Format ...
. The OSPCA filed some charges against the park in late 2016 and early 2017, but all of the charges were withdrawn by government prosecutors later that year. Marineland has repeatedly stated publicly that the allegations are the work of disgruntled former employees, who have teamed up with activists wholly opposed to the keeping of animals in captivity and organizations which "seem to financially benefit from any resulting downturn in public opinion towards park operations". Marineland has further maintained that they make every effort to ensure the animals in their care are well provided for. The park employs a number of people who care for the animals day-to-day, as well as an experienced and qualified veterinary staff. Although it is a private facility, Marineland must comply with federal and provincial regulations, as well as comply with several animal welfare enforcement agencies, including regular and "snap" inspections. Marineland has filed nine lawsuits against activists, former employees and the media, and a further lawsuit against the OSPCA for
malicious prosecution Malicious prosecution is a common law intentional tort. Like the tort of abuse of process, its elements include (1) intentionally (and maliciously) instituting and pursuing (or causing to be instituted or pursued) a legal action (civil or criminal ...
and
reputational damage Reputational damage is the loss to financial capital, social capital and/or market share resulting from damage to a firm's reputation. This is often measured in lost revenue, increased operating, capital or regulatory costs, or destruction of sh ...
.


Controversies

Marineland and its owner John Holer were involved in many controversies throughout the park's history. Animal rights activists have picketed regularly outside the park property for several years and continue to protest as of 2018. In 1977, the U.S. Department of Fisheries seized six
bottlenose dolphin Bottlenose dolphins are aquatic mammals in the genus ''Tursiops.'' They are common, cosmopolitan members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphins. Molecular studies show the genus definitively contains two species: the common ...
s that had been illegally caught by John Holer in the
Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of ...
. In 1983, Niagara Falls mayor
Wayne Thomson Wayne Thomson is a Canadian politician who previously served as the mayor of Niagara Falls.
resigned amid controversy over a vacation given as a gift by a Toronto development firm and a land purchase made by his then-fiancé Bonnie Dickson. His fiancé bought some land in Niagara Falls from a seller who did not want it to be sold to Marineland. Seven months later, she sold the plot to Marineland. Holer stated she acted as trustee and was accompanied by Thomson. In the 1980s,
Greenpeace Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning network, founded in Canada in 1971 by Irving Stowe and Dorothy Stowe, immigrant environmental activists from the United States. Greenpeace states its goal is to "ensure the ability of the Earth t ...
was the first activist group to raise concerns about keeping killer whales in captivity. It objected to the keeping in principle, although it stated that Marineland was one of the better facilities. The level of concern grew in the 1990s. In 1997, a protest was held outside the park by
Ric O'Barry Richard "Ric" O'Barry (born Richard Barry O'Feldman; October 14, 1939) is an American animal rights activist and former animal trainer who was first recognized in the 1960s for capturing and training the five dolphins that were used in the TV se ...
, the trainer of " Flipper" of the television series. Other organizations present at the protest included Friends of the Dolphins, Zoocheck Canada and Earth Island Institute. The protesters alleged that Marineland separated mother and child killer whales too quickly and four other whales were stored in unsuitable facilities. In September 2011,
SeaWorld SeaWorld is an American theme park chain with headquarters in Orlando, Florida. It is a proprietor of marine mammal parks, oceanariums, animal theme parks, and rehabilitation centers owned by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment (one park will be ...
won a court battle with Marineland over the fate of " Ikaika", a killer whale. Ikaika had been originally loaned to Marineland under the terms of a breeding loan agreement between the two organizations, but SeaWorld decided to terminate the agreement due to concerns about Ikaika's mental and physical well-being due to deteriorating conditions at the park. Marineland initially refused to return Ikaika, but was eventually ordered to by the
Ontario Superior Court The Superior Court of Justice (French: ''Cour supérieure de justice'') is a superior court in Ontario. The Court sits in 52 locations across the province, including 17 Family Court locations, and consists of over 300 federally appointed judges. ...
as well as pay $255,000 in compensation to SeaWorld for legal expenses. On September 10, 2012, the ''Toronto Star'' published an article quoting former Marineland supervisor Jim Hammond alleging that Marineland owner John Holer had shot one of the baby deer in his park through the windpipe with a 12-gauge shotgun, leaving it to choke on its blood without dying. Hammond claimed the park owner refused his pleas for humane euthanasia. On December 20, 2012, the
Ontario Ministry of the Environment The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks is an Ontario government ministry responsible for protecting and improving the quality of the environment in the Canadian province of Ontario, as well as coordinating Ontario's actions on c ...
announced an investigation into several mass animal graves at the park. The ministry had no previous knowledge of the graves, as Marineland lacks permits for such use. After an investigation by the ministry, Marineland was allowed to continue using a section of the site for animal burials. On March 5, 2013, the ''Toronto Star'' published an article quoting Hammond and a local resident alleging that John Holer had shot two Labrador Retrievers that had escaped a neighbour's house and entered Marineland property. The article also mentioned that Hammond was told by Holer "to check if there were any collars ... around their necks and if there were, to remove them." In September 2013, it was reported that the
Ontario Veterinary College The Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) is the oldest veterinary school in Canada. It is located on the campus of the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario. The OVC is one of five veterinary schools that offer the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, ...
was investigating an unspecified number of veterinarians at Marineland. Also in 2013, OSPCA investigated the claims of some former employees of Marineland claimed that the animals' health was being put at risk by low water quality. OSPCA used the results of the investigation to make suggestions to the subsequent provincial review of its animal welfare laws. In April 2014, the Vancouver newspaper ''
The Georgia Straight ''The Georgia Straight'' is a free Canadian weekly news and entertainment newspaper published in Vancouver, British Columbia, by Overstory Media Group. Often known simply as ''The Straight'', it is delivered to newsboxes, post-secondary schools, ...
'' published an article alleging that five harbour seals transferred from the
Vancouver Aquarium The Vancouver Aquarium is a public aquarium located in Stanley Park in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. In addition to being a major tourist attraction for Vancouver, the aquarium is a centre for marine research, ocean literacy education, cl ...
had fallen ill at Marineland due to "poor water chemistry". According to the article, one, "Pepper" died in 2006 from the conditions while the rest were blind. Marineland filed a lawsuit in July 2014 against ''The Georgia Straight'' and the article's writer for defamation and damages. According to Marineland, Pepper did not die as described in the article and the others were not blind but were in fact generally healthy. It was the eighth lawsuit filed by Marineland since 2012, and the third against a media outlet. In 2015, the Government of Ontario took up debate of the keeping of orcas.
Bob Barker Robert William Barker (born December 12, 1923) is an American retired television game show host. He is known for hosting CBS's ''The Price Is Right'' from 1972 to 2007, making it the longest-running daytime game show in North American televis ...
urged Ontario Premier
Kathleen Wynne Kathleen O'Day Wynne ( ; born May 21, 1953) is a Canadian former politician who served as the 25th premier of Ontario and leader of the Ontario Liberal Party from 2013 to 2018. She was elected to the Legislative Assembly in 2003 and sat as the ...
to order Marineland to give up Kiska and other animals. On May 28, 2015, the Legislative Assembly of Ontario passed the ''Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Amendment Act''. The act prohibits the possession or breeding of orcas in Ontario but allowed Marineland to keep its orca. On May 10, 2016, Marineland filed a lawsuit against filmmaker Zach Affolter to prevent the release of his documentary, ''Black Water''. The park alleges that the film contains footage illegally taken at Marineland and is a violation of their policy preventing the use of footage for commercial purposes. Affolter responded by asserting that "''Black Water'' is meant as an educational, non-commercial film that dives into the moral question behind keeping cetaceans in captivity." Marineland demanded million in damages for breach of its intellectual property rights. Affolter denied the allegations and said he had found the video of Kiska on
Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...
. Until the lawsuit was resolved, the film's release was on hold.


Demers allegations

In May 2012,
Philip Demers Philip Demers (born March 21, 1978) is a Canadian former professional marine mammal trainer at Marineland of Canada in Niagara Falls, Ontario. He is best known for his relationship with a captive walrus named Smooshi. Career Demers' animal train ...
, trainer of the walrus "Smooshi," resigned from Marineland. He had been an employee of Marineland for 12 years and had been noted for his close relationship with Smooshi. Demers made public his concerns about Marineland and has been sued by Marineland. In Demers' version of accounts, Smooshi was moved from Marineland's barn to the Aquarium, where Demers said she deteriorated because of problems with the water. Smooshi was returned to the barn but problems returned. He asked for more walrus trainers, but his request was denied. By 2012, he had had responsibilities for hiring and training employees taken away, and he chose to resign. He continues to speak out about Marineland. On August 15, 2012, the ''Toronto Star'' published an article of Demers' account, alleging that many sea mammals at Marineland live in inhumane conditions and suffer from a variety of illnesses caused by problems with water quality and chronic understaffing. Holer denied the allegations in the report, which was largely based on interviews conducted with former Marineland employees. The Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals declined to press charges, but did order changes in park procedures that were then implemented by Marineland. The controversies led to Suzie McNeil, singer of the park's
jingle A jingle is a short song or tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. Jingles are a form of sound branding. A jingle contains one or more hooks and meaning that explicitly promote the product or service being advertised, usually t ...
, "Everyone Loves Marineland", to ask the park to no longer use her recording. Demers's campaign against the institution is profiled in the 2020 documentary film ''
The Walrus and the Whistleblower ''The Walrus and the Whistleblower'' is a 2020 Canadian documentary film directed by Nathalie Bibeau.John Law"CBC premiere Thursday for documentary on Marineland, Demers conflict" '' St. Catharines Standard'', May 24, 2020. The film profiles Phil ...
''. It was released as part of the Hot Docs Documentary Film Festival. It documented the relationship former Marineland trainer Phil Demers had with the walrus Smooshi before he quit in 2012 and became a vocal critic of the park. In June 2020, the film was named as the winner of 2020 Rogers Audience Award and as Overall Favourite at the
Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival The Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival is the largest documentary festival in North America. The event takes place annually in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The 27th edition of the festival took place online throughout May and June ...
. The Audience Award allowed the film to be fast tracked in the
Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary education, secondary or tertiary education, tertiary higher education, higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membershi ...
category, "provided it meets all other criteria for eligibility". The CBC's
Documentary Channel A documentary channel is a specialty channel which focuses on broadcasting documentaries. Some documentary channels further specialize by dedicating their television programming to specific types of documentaries or documentaries in a specific a ...
item about the film stated that Demers had "appeared four times on the Joe Rogan show, has testified before the Canadian Senate, and is being sued for $1.5 million for plotting to steal Smooshi, the walrus". On September 20th 2022 Demers and the park reached a non-costs agreement where the walrus Smooshi and her calf Koyuk would be rehomed.


Bill to ban captive cetaceans

In 2015, then-Senator Wilfred Moore of the
Senate of Canada The Senate of Canada (french: region=CA, Sénat du Canada) is the upper house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the House of Commons, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada. The Senate is modelled after the B ...
introduced Bill S-203, the ''
Ending the Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act The ''Ending the Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act'' (long title ''An Act to amend the Criminal Code and other Acts (ending the captivity of whales and dolphins)'') is an act of the Parliament of Canada. Passed into law in 2019, the Act bans t ...
''. Marineland would be one of two facilities in Canada to be affected by the law after the bill is passed. Marineland, along with the Vancouver Aquarium, is opposed to the bill. Marineland believes that it advances an agenda of entrenching animal rights into the legal framework: "the granting of the rights of a person to whales—what activists call a 'non- human person'—and then to other species". The bill would "fundamentally and critically damage Marineland" and "essentially destroy Marineland's future". Marineland believes that it has enough belugas, but it would like to get some more porpoises in the future and a companion for its one orca. In September 2017, Green Party of Canada leader
Elizabeth May Elizabeth Evans May (born June 9, 1954) is a Canadian politician, environmentalist, author, activist, and lawyer who is serving as the leader of the Green Party of Canada since 2022, and previously served as the leader from 2006 to 2019. Sh ...
filed a complaint to the Parliament of Canada's Lobbying Commissioner about Marineland's breaches of the Canadian ''Lobbying Act.'' Marineland had privately lobbied Members of Parliament and Senators without registering with the Lobbying Commissioner in efforts to stop Bill S-203. Marineland's lawyer Andrew Burns registered as a lobbyist in May 2018. Progressive Conservatives in the Senate, led by Sen. Don Plett, used procedural obstruction to keep the bill from moving to a vote. In June 2018, the senators added amendments intended to exclude Marineland and the Vancouver Aquarium from being covered by the bill. The bill was passed by the Senate in October 2018 and was sent to the
House of Commons of Canada The House of Commons of Canada (french: Chambre des communes du Canada) is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada. The House of Common ...
. Andrew Burns, Marineland's lawyer appeared at a House Fisheries Committee meeting in March 2019, to propose an amendment regarding future beluga births at Marineland, claiming the new law is unconstitutional. Senator Murray Sinclair, the bill's second sponsor in the Senate and a former judge, told MPs no one is going to be prosecuted when currently pregnant belugas give birth. In the opinion of Sinclair and May, Burns was only intending to delay the bill, so that it could not be passed before the end of the current session of the
Parliament of Canada The Parliament of Canada (french: Parlement du Canada) is the federal legislature of Canada, seated at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, and is composed of three parts: the King, the Senate, and the House of Commons. By constitutional convention, the ...
. The bill was passed by committee without amendments. The bill passed third and final reading in the House of Commons on June 10, 2019.


Ontario SPCA charges

In 2012, the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals received complaints of animal abuse at the park from former employees and issued orders to Marineland as to the standard of care they should be following. At that time, a full investigation was not conducted. On November 10, 2016, however, the agency received a formal 35-page complaint—compiled by California-based group Last Chance for Animals—which included photographs and videos taken by a former Marineland employee whose identity has not been revealed to the public. (
The Canadian Press The Canadian Press (CP; french: La Presse canadienne, ) is a Canadian national news agency headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. Established in 1917 as a vehicle for the time's Canadian newspapers to exchange news and information, The Canadian Pre ...
obtained a copy of the complaint file which was reviewed by some members of the news media; only excerpts have been published.) At that time, the OSPCA began an investigation of possible animal abuse at the park using its staff and a veterinarian. On November 25, 2016, the OSPCA charged Marineland with five counts of
animal cruelty Cruelty to animals, also called animal abuse, animal neglect or animal cruelty, is the infliction by omission (neglect) or by commission by humans of suffering or Injury, harm upon non-human animals. More narrowly, it can be the causing of harm ...
under the Ontario SPCA Act over their treatment of
peafowl Peafowl is a common name for three bird species in the genera '' Pavo'' and ''Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae, the pheasants and their allies. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female peafowl are refe ...
s,
guineafowl Guineafowl (; sometimes called "pet speckled hens" or "original fowl") are birds of the family Numididae in the order Galliformes. They are endemic to Africa and rank among the oldest of the gallinaceous birds. Phylogenetically, they branched o ...
s, and
American black bear The American black bear (''Ursus americanus''), also called simply a black bear or sometimes a baribal, is a medium-sized bear endemic to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most widely distributed bear species. American black bear ...
s in the zoo portion of the park. The Ontario SPCA alleged that the animals were distressed and did not receive the required standard of care from Marineland. The company denied the allegations. Marineland also provided a statement to The Canadian Press: "(Last Chance for Animals) is working together with the fired former employee to exact revenge over his firing and advance their radical cause and goal to shut Marineland." The company also posted a commentary on their Web site indicating that it is "being attacked by disgruntled former employees again, who are working with a professional activist group that raises just under 2 million dollars per year to share their distorted view of facts about others." The post indicated that the company would "vigorously defend ourselves against these charges laid by the OSPCA". A news article on August 10, 2017, stated that the park had started a lawsuit against former employee
Philip Demers Philip Demers (born March 21, 1978) is a Canadian former professional marine mammal trainer at Marineland of Canada in Niagara Falls, Ontario. He is best known for his relationship with a captive walrus named Smooshi. Career Demers' animal train ...
, one of those who had filed complaints with the OSPCA, for $1.5 million and that this is only one of nine lawsuits against activists, former employees and the media since 2012. None of the suits has been resolved in court. Six additional counts of animal cruelty were laid by the OSPCA on January 9, 2017. The new charges related to the treatment of elk, red deer and fallow deer. Deputy chief Jennifer Bluhm of the OSPCA provided the following comment: "While the investigation is still ongoing, these are all the charges we expect to be laid in this case." On previous occasions, Marineland had stated that it would defend against charges in court. The company's first appearance to plead to the charges was set for January 26, 2017. On the same day, Marineland posted another response on its website, critical of the OSPCA handling of the investigation and the charges, including the following comment: "We believe the OSPCA is continuing a publicity campaign at the behest of a band of discredited activists with little relevant expertise or knowledge, in an effort to avoid further embarrassment related to an ongoing investigation into the OSPCA’s perceived failure to protect animals that is being led by the same activists they are now firmly in bed with. ... We will hold the OSPCA to the high standards of Ontario’s legal system and require them to defend their charges to the fullest extent possible." On August 10, 2017, all charges were withdrawn in Niagara Falls Provincial court. The prosecutor stated that there was no likelihood of conviction and pursuit of the matters was found to not be in the public interest The OSPCA inspected the park a week later and did not find any issues of concern. In October 2017, Marineland filed a lawsuit against the OSPCA, alleging that the OSPCA launched its investigation purely to harm Marineland. "It was motivated by a series of improper objectives, including a desire to accomplish its own policy agenda, to mollify the animal activist community, to please its donors, and to effectively destroy Marineland." Marineland is seeking in damages. The OSPCA responded publicly that it "vehemently denies all of the allegations and will defend itself." A subsequent pleading by the OSPCA's stated that any losses suffered by Marineland due to the charges "are entirely the result of its own misconduct and that (Marineland) is the author of its own misfortune."


Beluga whale deaths

* Dee, a beluga whale imported from Russia, died in August 2000 after a petting session. At the time, news reports indicated that this was the third recent death; in December 1999 another female beluga died from liver failure and in March 2000, "Malik", a three-year-old orca, died. This led two animal rights groups to urge the
Government of Canada The government of Canada (french: gouvernement du Canada) is the body responsible for the federal administration of Canada. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown is the corporation sole, assuming distinct roles: the executive, as the ''Crown ...
to issue a moratorium on the import of belugas. * Sasha, a beluga whale born in 2008 at Marineland, died around October 10, 2011, several days before the off-season. * On May 28, 2012, a nine-month-old beluga, Skoot, born to Skyla, succumbed to its injuries after a two-hour attack by two adult males in a shared tank. Only an untrained guide was on hand to try to stop the attack and he said it took a long time for trainers to respond. By that time, the calf had already died. Marineland's John Holer told the news media that the calf died because of meningitis. * In May 2013, an aquatic inventory website (Ceta-Base.org) reported that belugas Luna and Charlotte were both deceased and said these were the latest of 18 other beluga deaths over the years. The site's August 2017 report indicates additional beluga deaths, some without a date, with the most recent (named R1) having been on July 30, 2015. Charlotte died from a metabolic disorder; the cause of death for Luna was not known. * In August 2017, Gia (who had been born at the park) died suddenly. A preliminary report indicated that the cause may have been a twisted small intestine that resulted in a fatal blockage. The Ceta-Base site indicates that Gia had been born in 2012.


Orca deaths

A ''Toronto Star'' report in November 2012 stated that "Marineland has had 26 killer whales over roughly three decades, according to ... Zoocheck Canada. Of these, 16 died at Marineland. ... Six died in other parks after being transferred while one died en route from Marineland to Japan". The following include orca deaths that were well documented. * An unnamed whale died at the park in October 1992 from drowning. * Junior, a wild Icelandic male orca, being kept in an indoor barn, died in June 1994. * Kanuck, separated from mother, Kiska and stored in a warehouse. Died at age 4 in 1998. * An unnamed whale born at Marineland died in June 1998. * Malik, a three-year-old orca, died due to a deficient immune system in March 2000. * Nova died in August 2001. * Algonquin died in August 2002 due to a twisted intestine. * April died in April 2004. * Neocia died in August 2004 at Marineland. The death of this 12 year old whale was reported as the fifth in five years at the Ontario park. * Hudson died in October 2004 with the cause of death being meningitis. * Kandu, a wild whale from Iceland that had been at the park since the 1980s, died on December 21, 2005. * Katak/Splash was born at Marineland and was moved to SeaWorld in 1992 for health treatment. He died in April 2005. * Nootka V died in January 2008 at Marineland. Nootka had been brought to Marineland in 1979 after being captured near Iceland. * Athena died sometime in spring 2009. The cause of death was by infection. * An unnamed whale died while being moved from Marineland to Japan.


Advertising

Marineland's main advertising comes through a series of radio and television commercials with the
jingle A jingle is a short song or tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. Jingles are a form of sound branding. A jingle contains one or more hooks and meaning that explicitly promote the product or service being advertised, usually t ...
"Everyone Loves Marineland". Marineland has also used other slogans over the years in its advertising: *"Come to Marineland" – (1980–1984) *"Where the Fun Never Stops" – (1985–1988) *"Happiness is Marineland" – (1987–1992) *"Everyone Loves Marineland" – (1993–2020) *"Underwater Fantasy at Marineland" (2020s-present)


See also

*
List of captive orcas Orcas, or killer whales, are large predatory cetaceans that were first captured live and displayed in exhibitions in the 1960s. They soon became popular attractions at public aquariums and aquatic theme parks due to their intelligence, train ...
*
Miami Seaquarium The Miami Seaquarium is a oceanarium located on the island of Virginia Key in Biscayne Bay, Miami-Dade County, Florida located near downtown Miami. Founded in 1955, it is one of the oldest oceanariums in the United States. In addition to marin ...


References


External links

*
Images from the Historic Niagara Digital Collections
{{Authority control Animal theme parks Amusement parks in Canada Culture of Niagara Falls, Ontario Oceanaria Tourist attractions in Niagara Falls, Ontario 1961 establishments in Ontario Zoos in Ontario Aquaria in Canada Amusement parks opened in 1961