In just a matter of weeks, multiple whales and one dolphin have died following their transfer from Marineland. These events highlight the devastating consequences of captivity.
Between July and August, Marineland’s remaining belugas and dolphins were transferred to five facilities around the world: Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, SeaWorld San Antonio, SeaWorld San Diego and Oceanogràfic Valencia in Spain.
The whales and dolphins transferred out of Marineland were meant to be moving towards a safer and more secure future. Unfortunately, several of these animals did not survive the transition.
Spending years, and in some cases decades, in artificial environments took a toll on these animals. While individual circumstances vary, the pattern is clear and reinforces why we need to phase out whale and dolphin captivity globally.
World Animal Protection is also calling for full transparency about the decisions that led to these transfers, including:
- What did the independent veterinary and health assessments say about each whale before they were moved?
- Who determined they were healthy enough to withstand transport?
- Was the welfare of each individual animal the overriding consideration?
We believe relocation should never come at the expense of an individual animal’s welfare. If an animal is not healthy enough to withstand the stress of transport, they should not be moved.
Seaside sanctuaries: A different future is possible
Seaside sanctuaries can provide a safe home for whales and dolphins retiring from captivity, who cannot be released into the wild. These sanctuaries would mean lifelong professional care in a more natural environment, without breeding, performances or exploitation for entertainment.
We hope that the recent deaths following transfer from Marineland will spark governments, aquariums and organizations around the world to come together and support sanctuary solutions.
Ontario’s missed opportunity to lead
Ontario's weak regulatory system allowed this situation to reach a crisis point. Without a provincial system for licensing and proactive oversight of zoos, Marineland operated for decades – amassing hundreds of wild animals even as the facility faced repeated animal welfare investigations, charges and convictions.
For years, World Animal Protection called on the Ontario government to intervene on behalf of Marineland's animals and bring experts and stakeholders together to determine the best possible outcome for each individual whale and dolphin.
The lesson from Marineland cannot simply be that whales should be kept in different tanks or at different facilities. Instead, we must stop creating new generations of whales and dolphins who are forced to spend their lives in captivity in the first place.
The animals at Marineland deserved a better future, and the whales and dolphins that remain in captivity around the world, still do.
Banner image courtesy of: Georgia Aquarium
No more Marinelands!
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