Marineland of New Zealand facts for kids
Marineland's logo
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Entrance on Marine Parade
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| Date opened | 29 January 1965 |
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| Date closed | September 2008 |
| Location | Marine Parade, Napier, New Zealand |
| Coordinates | 39°29′41″S 176°55′09″E / 39.494662°S 176.919161°E |
| No. of animals | 20+ |
| No. of species | 7+ |
| Major exhibits | Common dolphins, California sea lions, New Zealand fur seals |
Marineland of New Zealand was a special park in Napier, New Zealand, where you could see amazing marine animals. It first opened its doors in 1965 and welcomed visitors until 2008. The park was home to many different sea creatures. These included common dolphins, New Zealand fur seals, and little blue penguins. You could also see gannets, California sea lions, and even a sulphur-crested cockatoo.
Contents
Marineland's Story: A Look Back
Starting Up in the 1960s
The idea for Marineland started in 1964. An architecture company from Auckland was asked to design an aquarium and a dolphin pool for Napier City. This happened under the mayor, Peter Tait. In January 1965, Marineland caught its first common dolphin, named Daphne. The park officially opened just two days later. Sadly, in 1969, two dolphins died. This happened after some vandals broke in and fed them nails.
By the end of the 1960s, Marineland had many animals. These included dusky dolphins, California sea lions, leopard seals, and New Zealand fur seals.
New Animals in the 1970s
In 1970, Marineland welcomed bottlenose dolphins and Weddell seals. Four small-clawed otters arrived from Melbourne Zoo in 1976. A year later, Gary Macdonald became the general manager.
Changes in the 1980s
A new grandstand was built for visitors to watch the shows. Marineland also saw a special event. Yellow-eyed penguins and little blue penguins laid eggs for the first time. Some of these eggs successfully hatched, bringing new life to the park.
The 1990s: Education and New Programs
In 1991, Marineland received money from the New Zealand Lotteries Commission. This helped them build a new Marine Education Centre. A year later, a "Swim With Dolphins" program began. This allowed visitors to get even closer to the dolphins. In 1996, vandals broke into the park for a second time. After this, many areas of the park were updated. The animal homes were also improved.
The 2000s: Closure
Marineland closed to the public in September 2008. This happened after Kelly, the last remaining dolphin, passed away.
Marineland's Legacy in the 2010s
In the 2010s, Marineland was officially transferred to the National Aquarium of New Zealand. In September 2013, the Napier City Council announced plans. Marineland would be taken down and replaced with a skatepark.
Amazing Animals of Marineland
Marineland was home to many fascinating marine animals. Here are some of the creatures that lived there:
- Common dolphins:
- Kelly – She arrived on December 13, 1974. Kelly passed away on September 11, 2008. Her passing led to Marineland closing its doors.
- Shona – She also arrived on December 13, 1974. Shona died on April 7, 2006, due to old age.
- California sea lions: These playful animals lived in large pools. They were part of the daily shows with the dolphins.
- Rosey – Born at Marineland in 1984. She was a breeding female. Rosey has since passed away.
- Makea – Born on December 15, 1990. She was a trained show animal. Makea has since passed away.
- Cody – Makea's younger sister, born on December 17, 1991. Cody has since passed away.
- Trinity – Born at Marineland on December 17, 1997. Staff raised him after his mother rejected him. Trinity has since passed away.
- Orion – Born at Marineland on December 22, 1997. He was trained to be a show animal.
- Dakota – The youngest female sea lion, born on December 12, 2004. She was trained for shows.
- Rufus – The newest sea lion, born on December 22, 2004. He was also trained for shows. Rufus has since passed away.
- New Zealand fur seals: Many of these seals came to the park sick or injured. Others were born from seals that had been rescued.
- Angel – Brought to Marineland on June 12, 1991. He later retired from shows. Angel passed away on July 27, 2009.
- Primrose – Born at Marineland on December 28, 1992. She was a breeding female. Primrose has since passed away.
- Bart – Born at Marineland on January 7, 1997. He was training to be a show animal. Bart has since passed away.
- Monty – Sent to Marineland on August 9, 1999, for recovery. She was used in shows. Monty has since passed away.
- Molly – Brought to Marineland on June 20, 2000. She was used in shows.
- Mr. Bo Jangles – The son of Primrose and Angel. He was born on December 26, 2003. He made his show debut on Marineland's 40th Anniversary.
- Pania – Born on December 16, 2007, to Primrose. Angel was her father.
- Ollie – Born to Primrose, with Angel as his father. He was often featured in seal photos.
- Iha – Marineland's newest seal. She was part of the "swim with the seal" experiences.
- Little blue penguins: Marineland had a group of little blue penguins. This group started from birds that were sick or injured. These penguins have now moved to Napier's National Aquarium.
- Australasian gannet: Marineland's gannet group also grew from sick and injured birds. They were free to fly away. However, they chose to stay and form their own group at the park. These gannets have since passed away.
- Sulphur-crested cockatoo: Named Bobby. Bobby came to Marineland when the park started pirate shows in 1988.
Marineland's Final Manager
Gary Macdonald was the last manager of Napier's Marineland. He resigned on November 18, 2009. He had worked at Marineland for 32 years. His resignation followed investigations into how some wild animals were kept.
Mr. Macdonald admitted that what he did was wrong. He said he should have told the Department of Conservation (DOC) exactly what he was doing. The Department of Conservation started looking into the park's paperwork on November 11, 2009.
The Napier City Council's chief executive, Neil Taylor, explained the findings. The investigations showed that some wild seal pups were recorded as being born at Marineland. This allowed the park to keep them instead of releasing them back into the wild.
The council's investigation found that incorrect declarations were made in 1996, 2006, and 2007. These papers stated that the pups had arrived sick or at risk, needing treatment.
Marineland had been closed since April 2008 while the council decided its future. DOC completed its investigation. They decided not to take legal action against Marineland. They were satisfied with Mr. Macdonald's resignation.
