MarineLand Ontario, also known as MarineLand Canada or Marineland and Game Farm, is a facility located near Niagara Falls in Ontario, Canada. They started housing killer whales in 1971, and still holds one today. A total of 29 orcas have lived at the park, with 11 being live born, 3 were miscarriages, 1 being born at another park, and 13 were captured. Kiska, the last orca to live at the park, was housed at "Friendship Cove".

History

The park's first orca, Kandu II, was quickly shipped to the park shortly after his capture in 1971. In 1973, MarineLand bought another whale, a female named Kandy. It was hope that the two could produce a calf, but she passed away less than three weeks after her arrival. Eventually, captures from the west stopped and later on, MarineLand started buying whales from Iceland. In 1979, the park's main attraction, Kandu 2, passed away. Katina was their first Icelandic killer whale to be bought, followed by many others. The company purchased many of these orcas, and the unwanted ones were sold to other parks, including Kamogawa Sea World, Reino Aventura(Six Flags Mexico), and SeaWorld.

Out of all that were sold and bought, two died at the facility, three were kept as permanent residents(after the captures stopped), and one was moved to MarineLand's infamous "warehouse". Different Cetaceans at the park, including killer whales and Bottlenose dolphins, would be moved to a completely indoor tank, with hardly any space to move around. A believed to be autistic orca, named Junior, was moved here after he could not be trained. Kanuck, a young male bred at the park's theatre(below), also lived in "the warehouse". Small protests rang out in the park to move the whales, but both died before any actions or moves were done.

In 1989, Nootka V gave birth to MarineLand's first captive born orca. He was named Katak, but unforunately had many health problems. Katak was later shipped to SeaWorld San Diego in 1992, where he was renamed "Splash". Splash died in 2005 at the age of 15, and despite his health problems, he lived longer than any other whom was born at the facility.

Before "Friendship Cove" was finished in 1998, the whales lived in the parks "King Waldorf Theatre". This tank was consisted of two pools, and a total six whales were born here. Once "Friendship Cove" was finished, the orcas were moved throughout the three tanks as the breeding program sparked.

The oldest bred at the park(not including Katak/Splash), Neocia, died at the age of only 11 years. She gave birth to a inbred stillbirth in July of 2004, sired by her father(Kandu VII). She ended up dying in the following month, with MarineLand unaware that Neocia was going to be their oldest captive born orca who's entire life was lived at the park. All the whales had much contact with humans at Friendship Cove, and this could of possibly spread multiple diseases. Besides the Kanuck who died in "the warehouse", it is unknown why MarineLand was very unlucky with the deaths. As 2008 arrived, their most successful breeding whale Nootka 5, had passed away.

In 2006, their first whale born at another park arrived at MarineLand Ontario. The male, named Ikaika, was actually a calf of a previous orca who had lived at the park, Katina. He was still young at the time but became rather very sexually mature against Kiska, the last orca remaining at the park along Ikaika(after her last calf, Athena, died in 2009). In 2011, SeaWorld filed a claim requesting MarineLand to send back Ikaika because he was in "poor health". He was later shipped back but to another one of their parks in San Diego.

Kiska had then lived alone at Friendship Cove. In 2019, Canada passed a law banning the breeding of cetaceans in the country, as well as the entrance of any(other than rehabilitation purposes). Kiska died in 2023. She was the last orca to live in Canada.

Births

Total Calves: 14

Deaths

1. Kandu II** | Capture | 30th of September, 1971 - October, 1979
2. Kandy** | Capture | 30th of October, 1973 - 16th of November, 1973
3. Kiska** | Capture | 30th of November, 1979 - 9th of March, 2023
4. MLC-OO-C7908** | Capture | 30th of November, 1979 - January, 1980
5. MLC-OO-C8101** | Capture | October-December, 1981? - 1981?
6. Nootka V** | Capture | 24th of November, 1981 - 8th of January, 2008
7. Kandu VII** | Capture | 15th of November, 1986 - 21st of December, 2005
8. Junior** | Capture | 15th of November, 1986 - 1st of June, 1994
9. Muna** | Birth | 24th of August, 1992 - 25th of October, 1992
10. Neocia** | Birth | 21st of October, 1992 - 1st of August, 2004
11. Kanuck** | Birth | 28th of August, 1994 - 1998
12. Malik** | Birth | 21st of April, 1996 - 4th of March, 2000
13. Nova** | Birth | 6th of November, 1996 - 20th of August, 2001
14. MLC-OO-B9801** | Birth | 27th of May, 1998 - 7th of June, 1998
15. Hudson** | Birth | 15th of September, 1998 - 20th of November, 2004
16. Algonquin** | Birth | 18th of December, 1999 - 13th of August, 2002
17. MLC-OO-U0101** | Miscarriage | Late 2001?
18. April** | Birth | 7th of April, 2004 - 18th of April, 2004
19. MLC-OO-U0401** | Miscarriage | IB | July of 2004
20. Athena** | Birth | 8th of August, 2004 - 24th of May, 2009
21. MLC-OO-U0601** | Miscarriage | May of 2006

Transfers

1. Knootka* | Capture | 14th of September, 1974 - 27th of April, 1986
2. Kanduke* | Capture | 18th of September, 1975 - 9th of January, 1987
3. Katina | Capture | November, 1978 - 21st of June, 1979
4. Caren* | Capture | 30th of November, 1979 - 11th of February, 1980
5. Keiko* | Capture | 30th of November, 1979 - 16th of February, 1985
6. King* | Capture | 1980 - 11th of February, 1980
7. Splash* | Birth | 15th of August, 1989 - 17th of April, 1992
8. Ikaika | Born at Another Park | 18th of November, 2006 - 13th of November, 2011

Total Whales

1. Kandu II** | Capture | 30th of September, 1971 - October, 1979
2. Kandy** | Capture | 30th of October, 1973 - 16th of November, 1973
3. Knootka* | Capture | 14th of September, 1974 - 27th of April, 1986
4. Kanduke* | Capture | 18th of September, 1975 - 9th of January, 1987
5. Katina | Capture | November, 1978 - 21st of June, 1979
6. Caren* | Capture | 30th of November, 1979 - 11th of February, 1980
7. Keiko* | Capture | 30th of November, 1979 - 16th of February, 1985
8. Kiska** | Capture | 30th of November, 1979 - 9th of March, 2023
9. MLC-OO-C7908** | Capture | 30th of November, 1979 - January, 1980
10. MLC-OO-C8101** | Capture | October-December, 1981? - 1981?
11. King* | Capture | 1980 - 11th of February, 1980
12. Nootka V** | Capture | 24th of November, 1981 - 8th of January, 2008
13. Kandu VII** | Capture | 15th of November, 1986 - 21st of December, 2005
14. Junior** | Capture | 15th of November, 1986 - 1st of June, 1994
15. Splash* | Birth | 15th of August, 1989 - 17th of April, 1992
16. Muna** | Birth | 24th of August, 1992 - 25th of October, 1992
17. Neocia** | Birth | 21st of October, 1992 - 1st of August, 2004
18. Kanuck** | Birth | 28th of August, 1994 - 1998
19. Malik** | Birth | 21st of April, 1996 - 4th of March, 2000
20. Nova** | Birth | 6th of November, 1996 - 20th of August, 2001
21. MLC-OO-B9801** | Birth | 27th of May, 1998 - 7th of June, 1998
22. Hudson** | Birth | 15th of September, 1998 - 20th of November, 2004
23. Algonquin** | Birth | 18th of December, 1999 - 13th of August, 2002
24. MLC-OO-U0101** | Miscarriage | Late 2001?
25. April** | Birth | 7th of April, 2004 - 18th of April, 2004
26. MLC-OO-U0401** | Miscarriage | IB | July of 2004
27. Athena** | Birth | 8th of August, 2004 - 24th of May, 2009
28. MLC-OO-U0601** | Miscarriage | May of 2006
29. Ikaika | Born at Another Park | 18th of November, 2006 - 13th of November, 2011

Advertisements

1. Aired in the 1998 season - Click Here - Noticeable Whales: Kandu 7, Kiska, Malik, Neocia, Nootka 5, and Nova?
2. Aired in the seasons 1999-2003 - Click Here - Noticeable Whales: Kandu 7, Kiska, Malik, Neocia, Nootka 5, and Nova? Same video as the 1998 season, however the audio was edited.
3. Aired in the 2004 season - Click Here - Noticeable Whales: Kandu 7, Kiska, Malik, Neocia, Nootka 5, and Nova? Same video as the 1998 season, however the audio was edited.

Official Website: https://marineland.ca/

Timeline

References/Sources