Marineland beluga whale deaths not related to water quality: province

The Ontario government is speaking publicly about its ongoing investigation of Marineland, saying water troubles are under control after a recent investment.

Three weeks after the death of another beluga whale at Marineland, the Ontario government is speaking publicly about its ongoing investigation of the park, saying water troubles are under control after a recent investment.

The province’s chief animal welfare inspector told The Canadian Press that to her understanding, marine mammal deaths at the tourist destination in Niagara Falls, Ont., have not been related to water quality.

That’s despite the fact the water did not meet the standard of care until recently, Melanie Milczynski said in a rare interview.

She offered the first glimpse inside the government’s four-year-long probe of Marineland, the only place in Canada where whales are still in captivity.

Five belugas have died at the park in the last year and 17 have died since late 2019, government records show. Three other belugas sold to a Connecticut aquarium in 2021 have since died.

Kiska, the country’s last remaining killer whale in captivity, died in April 2023. One dolphin, one harbour seal, one grey seal, two sea lions and two Magellanic penguins have also died at the park in the past five years.

The most recent whale death has prompted renewed calls from opposition politicians for the province to explain what is happening, with the leader of the Ontario NDP saying the park should be shut down entirely.

Marineland did not answer questions about the animal deaths, and instead twice responded to recent queries with accusations that journalism published by The Canadian Press was driven by its reporter’s “personal animal rights beliefs and activism.”