2 beluga whales have died at Marineland amid questions about its future
More than a dozen whales have died there since 2019.
A couple of beluga whales swimming in a tank at Marineland.
Two beluga whales have died at Marineland in Niagara Falls, Ontario.
The park confirmed the deaths to the Ministry of the Solicitor General, but did not say how the whales died, the Canadian Press says. Both deaths happened within the last month.
A total of 17 whales have now died at the park since 2019, according to a count by the Canadian Press.
The news comes amid questions about the park's future after reports came out last week saying Marineland was laying off its staff and would be closing permanently.
Phil Demers, who previously worked at the park as an animal trainer, tweeted on Saturday that "Marineland Canada is no more" and that multiple sources told him employees were being laid off.
Narcity reached out to Marineland for a comment, but we did not hear back by the time the story was published.
In a statement to the Niagara Falls Review, Marineland said the park was not closing.
"Marineland is subject to all kinds of rumours started by people for their own reasons, some innocent, some not," the park said in a statement. "This is just another rumour. To be clear, Marineland is not closed."
Marineland is currently closed for the season and a re-opening date for 2024 has not been announced. The park opened on May 20 last year.
The theme park has faced years of scrutiny over the treatment of its animals.
In early March, the CBC reported Marineland was found guilty of three charges under Ontario's animal cruelty laws for the treatment of three black bears.
According to the outlet, the three animals, born in 2020, lived in "cramped quarters with little access to water for months."
In 2021, animal welfare inspectors visited the park and ordered that the bears be housed in larger enclosures. After the theme park failed to do anything about it, the bears were removed from Marineland.
According to the CBC, the province has been investigating Marineland for four years.
In August 2023, the Canadian Press reported animal welfare inspectors had been to the park around 160 times over the health of its animals.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.