Marineland has euthanized a seven-year-old beluga whale, Eos, citing health issues. Her death marks the 20th cetacean loss at the park since 2019. This heartbreaking tragedy is unsurprising given the alarming mortality rate at the notorious tourist attraction.
As of November 2024, Ontario Animal Welfare Services (AWS) claims to have visited the park 205 times. However, based on a rare interview with chief animal welfare inspector Melanie Milczynski, these visits appear to have been largely limited to weekly water testing. She told The Canadian Press that marine mammal deaths at Marineland have not been related to water quality, despite the water only recently meeting care standards.
In 2021, just one year after launching an investigation, AWS determined all marine mammals at Marineland were in distress due to poor water quality, and ordered Marineland to fix it. Marineland sought to appeal the order, and later dropped the appeal. Authorities have remained largely silent regarding the ongoing investigation and have denied multiple freedom of information requests from Animal Justice and the media.
Following years of avoiding accountability for unlawful animal cruelty, Marineland was finally convicted and fined $85,000 in 2024 for animal welfare offences over the mistreatment of three black bears. The bears were seized after Marineland refused to improve their poor living conditions and have been granted a second chance at a better life in sanctuaries.
It’s believed that 31 belugas remain at Marineland, the last place in Canada to hold whales captive. Provincial animal welfare authorities must act now to protect the surviving belugas—before they continue to die off one by one.
