Two more belugas have died at Niagara Falls’ Marineland and one animal advocate and whistleblower says this is just the beginning.
According to reports, the sea animals died earlier this month from torsion, otherwise known as twisting of the stomach.
“All the whales are under constant weekly supervision and oversight by the government regulator and cared for daily by in-house vets and numerous external consultants,” Marineland said in a statement to the Canadian Press.
“The reality is that all animals eventually die from one cause or another whether in the wild or captivity.”
These deaths mark 17 whale fatalities since 2019 leaving many to wonder what is going on at Marineland? A place where families used to flock from across the country and around the world.
Today, the company has become the butt of the joke with people chanting, “Everyone hates Marineland,” mocking its original jingle, “Everyone loves Marineland.”
Things took a turn for the worst in 2020, when Ontario’s Animal Welfare Services began investigating the Niagara Falls tourist attraction for claims of animal abuse.
Former Marineland employee turned whistleblower, Phil Demers, has been outspoken about the treatment of the animals for years and says the news didn’t shock him.
“Nobody should be surprised that MarineLand’s whales are dying en masse. It’s exactly what we forewarned would happen when we revealed neglect at the park back in 2012. Their life support systems and water quality have deteriorated beyond repair. Sadly, more whales will die soon,” he said on X Wednesday.
In a recent interview with Global News, Demers commented on the belugas’ cause of death and claimed torsion was extremely rare and it was all just an excuse as a cover up.
He says they are at a point of no return and new ownership won’t save them.
Demers’ detest for Marinland runs deep and he’s reportedly been banned from the park for over a decade.
In 2022, Marineland dropped its $1.5-million lawsuit against Demers after pursuing him for decades.
This came after he spoke out against the company and demanded ot release a walrus named Smooshi, who he closely bonded with as a former trainer.
That same year, he was reportedly allowed back inside the park to see the walrus.
Earlier this week, he spoke on the lawsuit against him.
“MarineLand once sued me for revealing animal abuse, only to drop that lawsuit 10 years later and cave to my demands. The lawsuit was a baseless and desperate attempt to discredit me. It failed miserably,” he said.
According to him, over 25 whales and dolphins have died at Marineland since 2020 and only35 beluga whales remain.
Over the weekend, Demers alleged that the park was closing its doors after being in operation for more than six decades.
However, Marineland issued a statement to the Niagara Falls Review on Monday saying that it was false.
“Marineland is subject to all kinds of rumours started by people for their own reasons, some innocent, some not,” the park said in a statement.
“This is just another rumour. To be clear, Marineland is not closed.”
