The horrifying last chapter in the tragic story of a Canadian Icon

[Unsapien]

This makes me cry, I'm fighting tears just typing this.

 I was sad the last time I went to Marineland, probably around 2016 or 2017? I'm not sure, we were just on our way to see family in Southern Ontario and were passing by it, and thought we'd have the time... to get one thing off my bucket list. The Sky Screamer. I knew that the park was in decline, but I was still shocked at the level of decay at that time, but I was an adult now and I thought I could do it. I can't count how many times I've been to this park in my youth, I took my kids there when they were little. I had always been too afraid to take the ride. I was in the line up, but sadly it broke down before I could get on it, we left... fed some of the deer & elk in the park and continued on our way.

This thread has nothing to do with that.



Marineland says its 30 belugas may have to be euthanized. How would that even happen?

If you can’t leave them, sell them or send them to a sanctuary, what do you do?

While Marineland doesn’t have any current plans to euthanize the 30 belugas swimming around what's left of the Niagara Falls amusement park, the company threatened to do so last week in a letter to Canada’s federal Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson which was obtained by CBC News.
The park would be faced with the “devastating decision of euthanasia” unless the federal government could provide them financial support, Marineland said in a letter.


...belugas are highly social and skilled at communicating with one another, allowing them to form close bonds with other whales. Harvey-Clark says the loss of the whales one by one would presumably be something the belugas would pick up on, which could cause harm before they’re ultimately killed.

“They're certainly aware enough to understand the environment they're in is changing really rapidly, and that would be really stressful,” Harvey-Clark said.
Trites adds that because animals are usually euthanized when they’re sick, there might be some experimentation when it comes to the exact dosage the whales should be receiving in order to euthanize them, too.

The state of the park June 2025:




There's got to be another way.

[Gwaithmir]

Why can't they just let them go in the ocean?

[Gwaithmir]

Why can't they just let them go in the ocean? It's true that they haven't been taught how to hunt for food, but maybe they'd learn quick once they got hungry. Maybe they could be fed in the wild on a limited basis at first.

[brewerb]

Yep, sad story. Unfortunately humans have created similar situations in the past, zoo fascination I guess. The pragmatist in me thinks that if euthanizing is the only solution, hopefully anything 'whale' can be harvested and dispersed to communities that still hunt belugas for sustenance. Maybe schools and/or museums that can use the remains for education/research.

[SYZ]

I agree that this entire story is both disheartening and angering.  
That this terribly inhumane marine park was allowed to exist in
the first place, and that in its own death throes the animals were
effectively handed death sentences is truly reprehensible—and is
sadly the classic example of man's selfish and non-humanitarian
attitudes towards sentient and sensitive creatures.  

And all, ultimately, in the pursuit of the demon dollar.

And we have our own Australian version of Canada's Marineland here
in Queensland, our northernmost state—much to my chagrin.

I'm horrified to see people touching dolphins, or swimming with dolphins.

In my home state Victoria strict, enforceable rules apply to human and sea
animals interaction.

[Thumpalumpacus]

This is essentially hostage-taking.

[Unsapien]

Why can't they just let them go in the ocean? It's true that they haven't been taught how to hunt for food, but maybe they'd learn quick once they got hungry. Maybe they could be fed in the wild on a limited basis at first.

My wife said essentially the same thing as you, and her thoughts were that since they are very intelligent if they could release them in an area where there were other belugas perhaps they might be able to learn wild behaviors from them. It'd give them a fighting chance at least.

[Unsapien]

Yep, sad story. Unfortunately humans have created similar situations in the past, zoo fascination I guess. The pragmatist in me thinks that if euthanizing is the only solution, hopefully anything 'whale' can be harvested and dispersed to communities that still hunt belugas for sustenance. Maybe schools and/or museums that can use the remains for education/research.

Unfortunately from what I understand the common way that they euthanize them the chemicals and the amount that they use would even make them toxic for wild animals to consume them.

[Unsapien]

The part that also pisses me off is that they got an offer from a Chinese marine park that would take them but the Government blocked that option because they're against selling of animals for entertainment purposes. Which normally I'd agree with if there was a protected habitat option available, but currently there apparently isn't.

At this point I'd mostly be in favour of having the Dept. of fisheries & oceans take control of the park and get the aquariums up to good standards and just let them live out their lives to their natural ends. They would at least be together as a family, then they'd just have the euthanize the last one (wouldn't want that one to suffer alone).

I think I saw a number like 1.3 million a year in cost to keep them alive which is peanuts, and as tax payer I'd call that money well spent. God knows we spent that much every time a politician blows his nose.

[brewerb]

Yep, sad story. Unfortunately humans have created similar situations in the past, zoo fascination I guess. The pragmatist in me thinks that if euthanizing is the only solution, hopefully anything 'whale' can be harvested and dispersed to communities that still hunt belugas for sustenance. Maybe schools and/or museums that can use the remains for education/research.

Unfortunately from what I understand the common way that they euthanize them the chemicals and the amount that they use would even make them toxic for wild animals to consume them.

That makes it even more repulsive. No win.