In a heartbreaking development, another beluga whale has died at Marineland, highlighting growing concerns over the facility's treatment of marine mammals. This latest loss marks the fourth beluga death this year alone, part of a troubling pattern at the attraction where 16 belugas and one killer whale have perished since 2019. Alarmingly, three out of five belugas sold to Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut have also died since their transfer in 2021.

Ontario's Animal Welfare Services initiated an investigation into the park in 2020. By 2021, the province declared that all marine mammals at Marineland were in distress due to poor water quality and mandated the park to address the issue. Although Marineland appealed this decision, they ultimately withdrew the appeal while continuing to assert that their animals were not in distress.

As the investigation stretches into its fourth year with little clarity or progress reports, public outcry has grown. Animal welfare advocates and opposition politicians are criticizing the provincial government's lack of transparency regarding its ongoing inquiry. Wayne Gates, the New Democrat representative for Niagara Falls, emphasized the public's right to be informed. “It’s awful that these animals are dying at Marineland,” he stated. “The solicitor general needs to present a clear plan to protect these animals.”

John Fraser, the Ontario Liberal Party's parliamentary leader, echoed these sentiments: “If the government is doing its job, what do they have to hide? The deaths continue to rise, and yet we hear very little about the actions being taken.”

Despite ongoing inspections—over 200 conducted by Animal Welfare Services—there remains a significant lack of information regarding the outcomes of these evaluations or any resulting actions.

In a statement regarding the recent beluga's death, the Ministry of the Solicitor General confirmed that the whale died in July and also reported the death of two Magellanic penguins. However, inquiries into the specifics of the beluga's death and broader welfare concerns have gone largely unanswered, leaving many questions about the park's operations.

Freedom-of-information requests to uncover details about Marineland's compliance have faced strong resistance from provincial authorities, including denials based on claims that release would interfere with law enforcement or violate privacy laws. Such barriers have exacerbated public frustration, as key insights into animal welfare practices at Marineland remain obscured.

The fate of Marineland itself may be in jeopardy. Following the recent death of its owner, Marie Holer, the park has been listed for sale for over a year. The sprawling 1,000-acre property—located just a kilometer away from the iconic Horseshoe Falls—has not specified what will happen to the animals once a sale occurs.

This year, Marineland opened its gates for just two months, a significant reduction from previous years where it ran from May until Thanksgiving. The experience was far from usual, with minimal rides available and most animals not on display. Reports show a dramatic decrease in the number of belugas housed at the facility, with drone footage revealing that only 33 belugas remained by September, down from 37 earlier in the summer.

Phil Demers, a co-founder of the advocacy group UrgentSeas and a former Marineland trainer, voiced his concerns, stating, "Marineland has normalized dead whales. When such tragedies become commonplace, society risks apathy, and the government plays a part in this."

As pressure mounts for greater accountability and transparency, the future for both Marineland and its inhabitants remains uncertain, leaving animal welfare advocates and the public anxiously awaiting action.