Marineland euthanizes seven-year-old beluga after medical struggles

Marineland has euthanized a beluga whale that suffered several medical conditions, the 18th beluga to die at the Niagara Falls facility since 2019.

Marineland has euthanized a seven-year-old beluga whale after a long battle with several different medical conditions, making it the 18th such whale to die at the Niagara Falls, Ont., tourist attraction since 2019.

Ontario's Animal Welfare Services team received confirmation of a beluga's death on Thursday, a Ministry of the Solicitor General spokesperson said.

Eos was born in 2017 to a first-time mother and needed help from the pod to raise her, Marineland said in a post on social media. The young whale's medical concerns began in 2021, the park said.

"Eos was diagnosed with renal concerns at a young age, which were monitored closely with progression tracked over the years," Marineland said.

"Since then she had battled subsequent bouts of infection with secondary complications that required intensive treatment involving appropriate medications, supplemental fluids to ensure her hydration status and (assisted) feedings to minimize her weight loss during periods of inappetence."

Eos was a tough whale, Marineland said.

"She was especially memorable for often staying incredibly bright and active during times of what in other whales would be debilitating illness," Marineland said.

"Unfortunately these past few months Eos's condition progressed and she wasn't her bright self as of late."

Marineland said six marine mammal veterinarians, both at the park and abroad, discussed Eos's declining health.

"It was collaboratively unanimously decided that with most recent diagnostic results from the day prior, which confirmed irreversible renal disease, that humane euthanasia to allow Eos to pass peacefully would be best," Marineland said.

The park said a third party will perform a necropsy to determine the cause of her illness.

In the summer of 2023, a Canadian Press reporter and photographer visited Marineland. Staff said there were 37 belugas in the park at the time. Shortly after the visit, Marineland banned the reporter from its property.

The provincial government has now confirmed that six belugas have died since that visit, and 18 since late 2019. It is believed 31 belugas remain at Marineland.

The Canadian Press learned of the most recent whale's death earlier this week. Marineland did not respond to questions on Thursday, but posted about the death later that day.

Marineland has long defended its treatment of animals and said the deaths are part of the cycle of life.

The park said in October that it would no longer talk to the reporter from The Canadian Press who had been banned from its property.

"A fair disclosure of your personal animal rights beliefs and activism is entirely lacking from your stories," the park said in a lengthy email last year. "You have consistently displayed an inability to professionally 'report,' instead advancing inferences and false allegations in aid of your personal views."

Last year, Marineland said it was transitioning to new ownership, though it has yet to announce a sale. The park only opened for two months rather than its usual five-month stretch. Rides were off limits and many of the animals were not open to the paying public.

Marineland has not said what will happen to the animals when the park is sold.

The province's Animal Welfare Services has been to the park more than 200 times since launching an ongoing, five-year-long investigation in 2020.

In that time, it declared all marine mammals at the park in distress in 2021 due to poor water quality. Marineland briefly appealed that order before dropping the appeal.

Late last year, the province's chief animal welfare inspector gave an interview about the probe for the first time.

Melanie Milczynski said in November that the park had previously not met the standard of care for water quality, but the water was considered acceptable at the time of the interview after a significant investment by Marineland.

A former Marineland whale trainer who has become an outspoken critic of the park said he was somewhat surprised the park had euthanized the seven-year-old Eos.

Phil Demers said very few animals were euthanized during his 12 years at the park. He said he could remember a seal and a sea lion being put down, but not a whale.

"It means Eos was in rough, rough shape," he said.

The advocacy group Demers co-founded, UrgentSeas, has been flying drones over the park for the past few years. Footage posted on social media in the fall shows a small beluga being transported by a crane and rejecting fish from a trainer.

"It's gut-wrenching, but when will Marineland be held accountable and when will the province be held accountable?" Demers said.

Animal Justice, another advocacy group, called on provincial parties to present a plan during the current election campaign to help the animals at Marineland.

"At seven years old, Eos was far too young to die, but this tragedy was entirely expected given the astronomical mortality rates at Marineland," said Camille Labchuk, the executive director of Animal Justice.

"The remaining whales stuck in miserable tanks at Marineland deserve urgent government action before there are no survivors left."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 7, 2025.

Liam Casey, The Canadian Press