Marineland threatened to euthanise 30 belugas after Canada blocked an export permit. Photo / Getty Images
A Canadian marine park that closed last year wants to send its remaining 30 beluga whales to an aquarium in China.
But Canada’s fisheries minister refused to issue an export permit because the animals would continue living in captivity.
Now, Marineland, a once-popular tourist attraction in Niagara Falls, Ontario, that says it is on the brink of bankruptcy, has threatened to euthanise the whales if the Government denied it an emergency cash infusion by tomorrow (NZT).
“If we do not receive a response by that date, we will have no choice but to presume that the answers to our inquiries are negative,” the park said in an October 3 letter to the Fisheries Ministry, adding that whatever happens to the animals would be “a direct consequence of the minister’s decision”.
The Fisheries Ministry gave its answer today – Marineland would not be getting more money.
“The fact that Marineland has not planned for a viable alternative despite raising these whales in captivity for many years, does not place the onus on the Canadian Government to cover your expenses,” Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson said in a letter to Marineland.
Animal welfare activists and local politicians have accused the park of effectively attempting a shakedown.
Representatives from Marineland did not respond to requests for comment.
The park closed to the public in 2024, after years of declining attendance and accusations of animal abuse.
Its operations were also hobbled by an animal protection law that Canada enacted in 2019 banning the breeding of captive whales and dolphins or their use for entertainment.
The legislation became known as the “Free Willy” Bill, after the 1993 movie.
In recent years, there has been a growing movement away from keeping whales and dolphins captive in enclosed surroundings.
However, simply setting them free is not usually an option.
Marine mammals that are bred in captivity have low prospects of survival in the wild, animal experts say, because they lack skills like hunting and social interaction with other mammals.
At the height of its popularity, Marineland was a major destination for families with young children, primarily for its choreographed shows featuring jumping orcas, twirling dolphins, and compliant walruses in an exhibit designed to look like a medieval castle.
The park was founded in 1961 by John Holer, a Slovenian immigrant who said he loved animals, and the facility eventually expanded to cover 400ha of grounds and also included rides and dining.
Its reputation crumbled over the years as Marineland faced ongoing protests from animal welfare activists and claims about the inhumane treatment of its animals.
Thompson previously said that her decision to deny Marineland’s request for an export permit was in line with Canada’s regulations against the exploitation of marine mammals.
Marineland was hoping to ship the animals to Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, a theme park in Zhuhai, China.
“I could not in good conscience approve an export that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have endured,” Thompson said in a statement.
She said she had recently visited the park and believed the health of the whales had deteriorated. Thompson said today that she remains open to reviewing other export permit applications and urged the company “to act in good faith”.
Beluga whales have a lifespan of about 60 years but tend to have shorter lives in captivity.
In recent years, 19 beluga whales and one orca have died at Marineland, according to data compiled by the Canadian Press. The news media outlet said that the park is still home to four dolphins and a few seals, sea lions, and bears.
Marineland was fined under Ontario’s animal cruelty laws in August 2024 for keeping three black bears in a cramped cage for months without sufficient water.
“Threatening to kill all their animals if they don’t get emergency funding is just repugnant,” said Melissa Matlow, a Toronto-based animal welfare adviser at World Animal Protection who has long pushed for the humane transfer of the whales.
She praised the minister’s decision to keep the whales from being sent to China.
“We need to take comfort that this is the last generation of whales and dolphins that will ever have to suffer again in Canada,” Matlow said.
Wildlife activists say a marine sanctuary would be an ideal place for the whales to live out their days, but such facilities are rare. A project proposed in Nova Scotia, called the Whale Sanctuary Project, is far from becoming a reality.
A coalition of private investors, led by Knapp Capital Management, a firm in New Jersey, has proposed turning the Marineland property and surrounding area into the “world’s first global inland sanctuary” for the park’s animals.
Phil Demers, a former walrus trainer at Marineland, said the company’s latest tactics amounted to bluster, threats and ultimatums, a pattern he said he witnessed while embroiled in 13 years of litigation with the company after publicly raising concerns about the inhumane treatment of the facility’s animals.
“It’s a life support system on life support,” Demers said of the park, which he claimed had an outdated water treatment infrastructure.
Chris Bittle, a member of Parliament who represents a district near Niagara Falls, said, “Marineland’s position of ‘give us money or the whales get it’ is yet another example of their failure to take responsibility for years of mismanagement.”
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
Written by: Vjosa Isai
Photograph by: Tara Walton / Getty Images
©2025 THE NEW YORK TIMES