Marineland’s Captive Whale Sell-Off

Marineland, Canada’s notorious marine park, is scrambling to offload its captive whales and dolphins - because that’s what you do when your business model relies on treating sentient beings like assets. The park is looking for a buyer, but first, it needs to make sure the marine animals are “removed expeditiously.” Translation: they need to get rid of them fast.  

There are still 31 belugas trapped in Marineland, making it the largest captive beluga population in the world. Since 2019, more than 20 whales and dolphins have died at the facility, including five belugas last year alone. And the clock is ticking - last month, the park secured a mortgage deal that forces them to move the animals ASAP.  

While the public has been demanding freedom for these whales and dolphins for years, the fear now is that Marineland’s version of “freedom” means selling them off to yet another entertainment prison. Activists warn they could be shipped overseas, possibly to facilities in China, where welfare laws are even weaker.  

Lori Marino, president of the Whale Sanctuary Project, pointed out that their Nova Scotia-based sanctuary is nearly ready, but whether Marineland will wait is another story. “We are ready to work with all parties towards providing a better future,” she said. But when has Marineland ever done what’s best for the animals?  

Meanwhile, Melissa Matlow from World Animal Protection isn’t holding her breath. She warns that Ontario is the “weakest jurisdiction” in enforcing animal protection laws, meaning Marineland could sell these whales under the guise of conservation - a convenient loophole.  

Marineland’s future is crumbling under public pressure, new laws, and sheer economics. But for the whales and dolphins still trapped inside, the question remains: will they finally find sanctuary, or just another cage?

First reported by The Guardian