Marineland of Canada facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Marineland of Canada Inc.

Previously known as Marine Wonderland and Animal Farm Marineland and Game Farm
Location	7657 Portage Road Niagara Falls, Ontario L2E 6X8
Coordinates	43°03′56″N 79°04′21″W / 43.06556°N 79.07250°W / 43.06556; -79.07250
Opened	1961; 60 years ago
Owner	John Holer (1961–2018) Holer Family Amusements (2018–present)
Slogan	Everyone Loves MarineLand!
Operating season	May–October
Attractions
Total	15
Roller coasters	2

A 1967 flyer for Marineland, using the older name "Marineland and Game Farm"

Marineland (officially called Marineland of Canada Inc.) is a fun zoo and amusement park in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. It's a place where you can see amazing marine animals perform, visit land animal exhibits, and enjoy exciting rides. The park is home to dolphins, walruses, sea lions, a special orca, and many beluga whales. You can also find bears, deer, and other land animals here.

Marineland was started by John Holer, who came from Slovenia. He opened the park in 1961 and ran it until he passed away in 2018. Now, his family owns and operates the park. Sometimes, there are discussions about keeping sea mammals in parks, and Marineland has been part of these talks.

Exploring Marineland

Marineland of Canada is home to about 4,000 land and marine animals. The park also has 16 rides, from gentle ones for younger kids to thrilling rides for adults. You can watch marine animal shows several times a day at King Waldorf Stadium. The park usually welcomes between 250,000 and 500,000 visitors each year.

In 2020, the park had to delay its opening because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It planned to reopen with safety measures, but amusement parks were not allowed to open by the Ontario Government at that time. Marineland used to be a member of Canada's Accredited Zoos and Aquariums (CAZA). They temporarily left CAZA in 2017 to expand their animal areas.

Marine Animals at Marineland

Marineland has many different marine animals. These include beluga whales, bottlenose dolphins, grey seals, harbour seals, penguins, sea lions, a walrus named Smooshi, and one orca. The beluga whales live in areas like Arctic Cove, Friendship Cove, and King Waldorf Stadium. In 2017, Marineland had 53 belugas.

Kiska is the only orca at Marineland. In 2015, a law was passed in Ontario that stops parks from owning or breeding new orcas. This means Kiska will be the last orca at Marineland. The park wanted to bring in another orca friend for Kiska, but the law doesn't allow it.

Friendship Cove

This area was built for orcas but now also houses belugas. Marineland says it's the world's largest whale habitat for viewing both above and below the water. Kiska, the orca, lives here. There are three pools in Friendship Cove. Pool A has 12 belugas, Pool B is for Kiska, and Pool C is a medical pool.

Arctic Cove

Arctic Cove is the main home for beluga whales. You can view the whales from above and below the water. For an extra fee, you can even pet and feed the belugas during special sessions. This area has three pools: two for habitats and one for medical care. Many belugas live here, split between Pool A (24 belugas) and Pool B (14 belugas, including mothers and calves).

King Waldorf Stadium

Opened in 1971, this is where the amazing marine animal shows happen. Sea lions, a walrus, and bottlenose dolphins perform here. There are four habitat pools. Five dolphins live in the left pool, and two belugas, Charmin and Tofino, are in the right pool. The sea lions and the walrus Smooshi have backstage areas.

Aquarium Dome

This building opened in 1966 and is now a home for seals. It has five harbour seals and one grey seal.

Penguin Palace

This area is home to penguins.

Land Animals to See

Marineland also has many land animals, a reminder of its past as a 'game farm'.

• Bear Country: Here, you can see black bears from a viewing deck. Visitors can even throw Corn Pops cereal to them!
• Deer Park: This is a fenced area where European Fallow Deer roam freely. You can walk among them and buy food to feed them.
• Carp Pond: In this area, carp and koi fish gather around "deck bridges." It's easy to see and feed them for a small fee.
• Elk and Buffalo: You can easily watch these large animals grazing. Feeding them is also an option for a fee.

Exciting Rides

Marineland has a variety of rides, including two roller coasters and a tall drop tower.

Rides That Are No Longer Here

Marineland's Story

Marineland was started by John Holer, who used to work in circuses in Europe. He and a friend bought some land near Niagara Falls. The park first opened in 1961 as "Marine Wonderland and Animal Farm." John Holer started with three sea lions and charged a small fee for people to watch and feed the animals.

In 1963, a trained sea lion named "Jeff" escaped and went over Niagara Falls! John Holer offered a reward and even used a helicopter to search for him. Jeff was found a few days later, relaxing with a teenager, who received the reward.

In 1964, two dolphins and more animals were added, and the park became "Marineland And Game Farm." By 1966, a large "aquatheatre" with 2,000 seats was built for shows, along with an "aquarium dome" with fish tanks and shops. The park became very popular, attracting 250,000 visitors in 1967.

In 1971, Marineland welcomed its first orcas. An orca named "Kandu" became a big star. Another orca, "Kandy," was brought in to be Kandu's mate, but she sadly passed away later that year. Kandu lived until 1979 and was replaced by "Nootka" in 1981, who lived until 2008. By 1975, the park had over 1,000 animals and was a top attraction in Niagara Falls.

In 1982, Marineland bought an orca named Keiko from an aquarium in Iceland. Keiko performed for the public but later developed skin problems. He was then sold to a park in Mexico City in 1985. Keiko became famous as the star of the movie Free Willy in 1993. After the movie, efforts were made to return Keiko to the ocean. He was released near Iceland in 2002 and swam to Norway. Keiko was cared for by a special project group until he passed away in 2003.

In 2001, Marineland added walruses to its marine animal family. The first walrus was "Sonja" from the Moscow Zoo. Other walruses like "Zeus," "Apollo," "Pandora," "Buttercup," "Buddy," "Smooshi," and "Azul" joined later.

In 2003, the "Arctic Cove" beluga whale exhibit opened. Belugas had been in Friendship Cove before this. In 2004, the exciting "Sky Screamer" ride also opened.

John Holer passed away on June 23, 2018. He was known as a successful immigrant. His family continues to run Marineland. The park is always looking for ways to grow and improve. In 2019, Marineland opened its new "Polar Splash" water park.

Marineland has also partnered with the Mystic Aquarium's Sea Research Foundation to study beluga whales. In 2019, Marineland sold two beluga whales to a Spanish facility for research.

Images for kids

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  One of the orcas (Nootka 5)

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  Deer

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  Feeding a beluga named Priscilla

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  Orcas during performance (orca is Athena)