Marineland's Whale Deaths Mount Amid Sale Plans and Ban on Captivity
Marineland, once a popular Niagara Falls attraction, has seen a tragic loss of marine life. In 2025, a juvenile beluga died in February, followed by another beluga and a harbor seal in mid-August. This brings the total whale deaths at Marineland since 2019 to twenty, including one killer whale and nineteen belugas. Meanwhile, the park remains closed and is seeking a sale, with only dolphins, seals, sea lions, bears, and deer remaining.
In 2019, Canada introduced a law banning whale and dolphin captivity for entertainment. Despite this, Marineland has continued to keep some marine animals, including four dolphins and a few seals and sea lions. The park has been under investigation by Ontario since 2020, with four outstanding orders against it. Marineland's request to send its remaining 30 beluga whales to China was denied by Ottawa, with Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson stating that whales belong in the ocean, not in tanks for entertainment.
The federal government has confirmed that the last captive whales in Canada will not be sent to China for public entertainment. They will not grant an export permit for the whales to be shipped to Chimelong Ocean Kingdom aquarium.
Marineland's future remains uncertain as it looks to sell the park. The ongoing investigation and the recent whale deaths have raised concerns about the welfare of the remaining marine animals. The Canadian government's stance on whale captivity is clear, and the public can expect no further exports of whales for entertainment purposes.
