Video: Beluga, dolphin die at Niagara Falls Marineland, Ontario government confirms

The Ontario government says a beluga whale and a bottlenose dolphin at Marineland have died.

The Ministry of the Solicitor General says the Niagara Falls tourist attraction informed the province about the deaths. The confirmation came hours after activist Phil Demers, who maintains links with the park where he once worked, announced the deaths.

A ministry spokesman says necropsies have been conducted by professionals retained by Marineland as required under regulations.

Marineland did not immediately return a request for comment, but told the Niagara Falls Review that Sonar, a dolphin, and Kodiak, a beluga, died last week. Demers said Sonar was one of four remaining dolphins in the park. He added she and Kodiak were the latest of more than 25 whales and dolphins to die there since 2020.

BREAKING: MarineLand has confirmed the death of Sonar, a female bottlenose dolphin. Here she is in this Apr 23rd video swimming among the 4 remaining. More than 25 whales and dolphins have died at MarineLand since 2020. #RIP pic.twitter.com/XroD5IEhqG

— Phil Demers (@walruswhisperer) May 8, 2023

The deaths come two months after Kiska, Canada’s last remaining captive killer whale, died at the park. Kiska was 47 years old and had lived in captivity since his capture of the Icelandic coast in 1979.

Ontario’s Animal Welfare Services team of anti-cruelty officers have been engaged in an active inspection of Marineland for the past three years.

Animal rights non-profit World Animal Protection Canada said in a statement “We are extremely saddened and disturbed to hear reports that a beluga whale and dolphin are the latest animals to die at Marineland in Niagara Falls, Ontario.” They continued they felt Marineland “like so many other under-regulated facilities in .Ontario, continue to dodge accountability because of Ontario’s weak animal welfare enforcement”

As a result they’ve called on the Ontario Solicitor General to “urgently implement stronger regulations and enforcement to protect the health and welfare of the remaining animals at Marineland and in other underregulated facilities across Ontario before more animals suffer and people get hurt.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 8, 2023. With files from Liam McConnell and Don Redmond.