There was mixed news this week about belugas and dolphins being moved from the closed Marineland theme park in Niagara Falls, Ontario. A former Marineland employee who raised awareness of conditions at the facility said more of the sea mammals were being removed.
“Today, four dolphins and two belugas were removed from Marineland, and they'll be going to Spain,” said Phil Demers, a former Marineland whale trainer. “But there are still six beluga whales remaining on Marineland currently.”
About 30 belugas had been living on Marineland’s property since the park closed in 2024. Last fall, park owners attempted to finalize a deal to move the animals to a marine park in China. But the Canadian government denied that proposal. Marineland operators then suggested that without provincial or federal support to continue caring for the animals, they would be forced to euthanize them.
Earlier this year, SeaWorld announced an agreement had been reached to transfer the belugas from Marineland to a handful of facilities. In addition to SeaWorld, Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, and Oceanogràfic Valencia in Spain would each adopt some of the whales. Many of the belugas had since been moved.
“I knew that day would come. I ensured that day would come, and I'm enjoying every minute of it, despite the risk,” Demers said. “There's a bittersweet feeling to it all. I didn't always have problems with Marineland. I did ultimately have to go through a paradigm shift of sorts. That entire perspective change, but there's part of me that will miss that place as well as you know I know other people do as well.”
But there was bad news coming on the same day as more animals were being moved from Marineland. Shedd Aquarium announced one of the belugas it adopted had died.
All marine life were required to undergo a medical examination before being moved, according to Canada’s Fisheries Ministry. But Demers says he isn’t surprised by news of the whale’s death.
“This is the inherent risk of it all. People understand that these whales have been grossly compromised,” he said. “They will have lingering effects and or consequences from the effects of marine life, poor conditions for possibly their entire lifetimes. They'll need medication. They'll need treatment.”
Demers, who began working for Marineland in 2000, was sued by the park’s ownership in 2013 after Demers plotted to remove a walrus and move it to another facility. The case was settled, but ultimately that walrus was moved out of Marineland.
Demers remains in litigation with Marineland, and continues to follow developments with the belugas that had resided there.
“They were absolutely bluffing,” Demers said of the threat to euthanize the animals.
