Marineland of Canada Is No More ???

June 3, 2025 Blog, Everett
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Once a beloved tourist attraction in Niagara Falls is no more ??? The park was once a staple and everyone sang along to the commercial jingle “everyone loves Marineland” well until they didn’t. Marineland was once my favourite place to visit as a kid, even more so than the Toronto Zoo, was billed as an oceanarium, zoo and theme park first opening in 1961 operating for 63 years. The park was once viewed as a magical place as a kid with orcas, beluga whales, dolphins, walruses, sea lions as some of their biggest attractions with land animals such as bears and deer to go along with amusement park rides. The park had plenty of controversies, especially as opinions on whales and dolphins in captivity changed over the years.

The park was founded  by John Holer, a Slovenian immigrant, from 1961 until his death in 2018. The park grew from one tank into massive park it became. The park would operate seasonally from May–October, this past year operating until only September 1st at a reduced rate with no amusement park rides going. Marineland has been without any orcas and walruses since 2023 and with the  Ending the Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act taking effect in 2019 it has prevented the park from acquiring more orcas leaving the lone orca Kiska on her own from 2019 until her death from bacterial infection on March 10, 2023. This bill also impacted Marineland financially and until the park is sold they are struggling to find the money to move the 30 animals living at the park. The once great attraction has reportedly have had 20 animals have died at the park since 2019.

The change in public perception on the ocras, whales and dolphins in captivity has changed since the parks founding largely due to documentaries like Blackfish, The Cove and major films like Free Willy. The Canadian documentary  The Walrus and the Whistleblower, specifically about Marineland can be noted in that group as well. Attacks on humans at marks like Sea World and various other parks, something not or very rarely reported in the wild helped change the minds of many.

Phil Demers the subject of the The Walrus and the Whistleblower has been reported saying the park is not reopening, a claim he made over a year ago but the most recent one mentions the tear down of the set.

Many establishments like Marineland have seen financial difficulty or have been shut down including Marineland of Antibes (no affiliation to Niagara park), which has 2 orcas left stranded swimming aimlessly around an algae-ridden enclosure. That Marineland park has been closed to the public since January, and is also home to 12 dolphins. With places shutdown or are in financial trouble, alongside legislations they struggle to be able to find a suitable new home for the neglected sea life, especially the orcas, despite its responsibility to do so. Wikie and Keijo the two remaining orcas at Marineland of Antibes may only have the The Whale Sanctuary Project left after all European and Japan efforts have all been turned down. French Government rejected WSP proposal to retire orcas Wikie and Keijo in January on grounds that Marineland wants to move them before sanctuary will be ready. The WSP continues to work with the French Government.

For Maineland of Canada, a Non-profit World Animal Protection (The Whale Sanctuary Project) is lobbying registration to ask for money for a sanctuary for whales and dolphins in a bay off the coast of Port Hilford, N.S. The charity organization also is looking for funding to support the rescue and transfer of marine animals that are “retired from the entertainment industry to this or other seaside sanctuaries.”

While it will be sad to see a staple of my childhood go, it is definitely the right move and hopefully a buyer can be found for the land so their will be money to move the remaining animals away from the nightmare that is Marineland … Not “everybody loves Marineland”

 

– Everett