Facility: Marineland Canada
First Orca Held: Kandu 2, survived 8 years in captivity
Current Orcas Held:Kiska, who has been kept alone for 3 years now
Total Orcas Held: 27
Deaths: 16 (+2 stillbirths/miscarriages at least.)
Transfers: 9
Average Age at Death: 8.4 (including infant deaths), 10.2 (excluding infant deaths)
Births: 11
Orcas From Wild: 12
Years Active: 1971-Present.
Notable Facts: Marineland Canada is the last facility in Canada that still holds killer whales, or more accurately a killer whale. After a legal battle with Seaworld, Ikaika was shipped away from Marineland and Kiska was left alone. Marineland has one of, if not the most unsuccessful breeding program in the world. Out of 13 pregnancies since 1989, all sired by the same bull, one being inbred, 0 calves are alive today, with the average age at death being only 5. Kiska the lone whale had 5 live offspring, and has outlived them all. Marineland has had some other questionable (or just downright unethical!) practices, such as the use of the warehouse. The most famous and perhaps most disgusting example of this is Junior, a male whale who spent years in the warehouse, a shallow tank with no natural lighting, hidden away from the public. Junior was for sale, but never purchased. Most whales Marineland had spent some amount of time in there. Marineland is also one of the few parks o have held transient whales, housing Knootka and Kanduke for a period of time. Marineland’s orca program will likely end when Kiska dies, as the park refuses to give her up. Some people have questioned whether he’ll get one of the recently captured Russian orcas to be a companion for her and keep the program going, but as of the end of the 2014 season, he hasn’t. Canada has almost no laws for captive marine mammals, so making the import would be completely legal, and the park has in fact imported many belugas in the past decade. The park is one that seems to be dying, and with an orca program so unsuccessful that’s probably for the better. Kiska is one of only three whales housed without another orca for a companion. After spending years in the company of other orcas, and suddenly left alone, this has caused public concern and outcry for change.
Photos belong to their owners (most did not have links attached for me to ask for permission) I WILL take them down if asked by their authors.
