Thirty belugas in Canada face being euthanised. Can they be saved?

For decades, Marineland was a destination for Canadian children and their parents who wanted an up-close look at ocean life near Niagara Falls.

But behind the water-themed roller-coasters and dolphin shows was a dark history with documented animal mistreatment and ongoing financial problems.

Ontario Animal Welfare Services has conducted numerous studies over the past few years. He has visited the park more than 200 times since 2020, according to CBC News.

Amid financial troubles, the park is trying to get permission to sell 30 beluga whales to China. When their permits were denied, the park said it might have to euthanize the whales.

Now advocates, experts and officials are looking for ways to save the whales; But few people agree on a single solution, and some say threats to kill Marineland’s whales are just talk.

Started by John and Marie Hole in 1961, the massive water park sits on 1,000 acres (400 hectares) of prime real estate in Ontario.

But the place, once a beloved attraction with catchy commercial music, has faced increasing scrutiny over its care of animals, which includes land animals such as bears and elk.

In 2019, Canada passed a bill making it illegal to keep whales, dolphins or porpoises in captivity.

The legislation provided protections for future animals, but not for animals already in captivity, leaving little room for the federal government to care for the whales at Marineland.

Criticisms of the park date back several years, and in 2020 Animal Welfare Services launched an investigation into the park.

That investigation led the state animal welfare agency to declare that all marine life in the park was endangered due to poor water quality. Water quality has been improved following investments in new technology by 2024, the provincial government told the Canadian Press news agency.

But that same year, Marineland was found guilty under Ontario’s animal cruelty laws of abusing and neglecting three young black bears who were kept for months in small enclosures with inadequate access to water.

A total of twenty whales, including one killer whale and 19 beluga whales, have died at Marineland since 2019, according to the Canadian Press. The company said the animals were treated well and the deaths were part of the natural life cycle.

Attendance at the park was greatly reduced, and the park did not open to tourists this spring as usual. Many think bankruptcy is inevitable.

“Unfortunately, they’re telling us they’re burning the furniture to heat the house,” Niagara Falls mayor Jim Diodati told Radio-Canada on Friday. “There is no money.”

Park officials say they cannot continue to care for the animals, so they must find a new home for them. Marineland has applied for permission from the federal government to sell the whales to a theme park in Zhuhai, China.

But Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson said the whales would be subjected to substandard treatment at the Chinese park as “public entertainment” and rejected Marineland’s request.

A number of organizations agreed with Thompson that the park in Zhuhai was not a viable option.

Then last week the park shocked many when it told the government it might have to euthanize the whales. Instead, he asked for funds from the Canadian government to continue caring for the animals.

Marineland’s letter to the fisheries ministry, obtained by the BBC, said whatever happens to the animals will be “a direct consequence of the minister’s decision”.

This claim was not welcomed by the government.

“The fact that Marineland has bred these whales in captivity for many years but has not planned a viable alternative does not impose an obligation on the Canadian government to cover your costs,” Thompson said in a letter to Marineland obtained by the BBC.

The current status of the whales remains unclear. Marineland did not respond to the BBC’s request for comment.

But Phil Demers, who worked as a senior trainer at Marineland for 12 years and has since become an outspoken critic, told the BBC that options to accommodate all 30 whales in a single facility, as well as the one in China, were limited.

He believes the best-case scenario for the whales is any option that will get them out of Marineland quickly.

He thinks the best possible outcome without China is a coalition of U.S. facilities, each taking a handful of whales.

“These animals were supposed to be out of the water yesterday,” Mr. Demers said.

Others say the circumstances warrant the state government stepping in and seizing the whales.

Ontario may appoint inspectors under the Provincial Animal Welfare Services (PAWS) Act to care for endangered animals and collect the costs from the facility owner.

This is the first step many want to see Ontario Premier Doug Ford take.

“Premier Ford needs to understand, whether he likes it or not, that Ontario has primary jurisdiction over captive wildlife within the province’s borders,” said Colin Saravanamuttoo, Executive Director of World Animal Protection Canada. “This game of chicken between the Marineland, the province and Ottawa is completely unacceptable; Premier Ford needs to step up, take the lead and stop passing the responsibility to others.”

Whale and Dolphin Conservation, an animal welfare organization, also wrote to Ford, asking him to commission independent veterinary evaluations for each whale so “each individual receives a humane and compassionate outcome.”

Ford’s office did not respond to the BBC’s request for comment.

The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society wants to see the whales sent to a sanctuary in Nova Scotia run by the Whale Sanctuary Project.

But there are some caveats.

Whale Sanctuary Chief Executive Charles Vinick said the facility won’t be ready until next summer and can only accommodate eight to 10 of the whales.

“There is no shelter open that can accommodate them today or tomorrow,” he said.

For now, as options for how to save the whales continue to be debated, there is widespread confidence that Marineland’s talk of euthanasia is just talk.

“The whole euthanasia threat is just a fuss,” said Mr. Demers, the former Marineland employee.

But time is ticking to find a solution that will give these animals a better and safer life.

“It will take more than one person or organization to provide these animals with the quality life they deserve,” Mr. Vinick said.