In response to a four-year investigation of the park, another beluga dies in Marineland, Ontario
A Canadian Press request for inspection reports and other documents was initially denied, citing exemptions for law enforcement and privacy.
Another beluga whale has died at Marineland, marking the fourth death in the past year, while a provincial investigation into the Niagara Falls attraction remains shrouded in secrecy.
Since 2019, 16 belugas and one killer whale have died at the park, the last facility in Canada to keep whales in captivity.
Furthermore, three of five belugas sold to Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut have died since their transfer in 2021.
The Ontario government’s Animal Welfare Services, part of the Ministry of the Solicitor General, began investigating Marineland in 2020.
A year later, it found that marine mammals at the park were in distress due to poor water quality and ordered improvements. Marineland contested the finding but later dropped its appeal.
Despite this, little information has been made public about the current status of the probe, prompting concerns from opposition politicians and animal welfare advocates.
Solicitor General spokesperson Hunter Kell stated that over 200 inspections have been conducted at Marineland, but no details about the inspections or resulting actions have been provided.
Wayne Gates, a local politician, and John Fraser, parliamentary leader of the Ontario Liberal Party, criticized the government for a lack of transparency, especially as whales continue to die.
Marineland, which did not respond to requests for comment, maintains on its website that it has a strong record of animal care.
However, the Ministry of the Solicitor General only confirmed the latest beluga death in July and revealed that two Magellanic penguins died in August, without providing further details.
Efforts to uncover more information through freedom-of-information requests have faced multiple delays.
A Canadian Press request for inspection reports and other documents was initially denied, citing exemptions for law enforcement and privacy.
Marineland has also appealed decisions to release records, pushing the case into a lengthy adjudication process.
The park’s owner, Marie Holer, passed away recently, and while a succession plan is in place, Marineland remains for sale.
The park, which opened for only two months this year with most animals not on display, has been the subject of criticism from advocacy groups like UrgentSeas, whose co-founder, Phil Demers, warned against normalizing the frequent deaths of marine animals at the park.
