I've been to Marineland once, and also to Seaworld in Orlando on one occasion as a child. I won't be going back. And frankly, I wish I'd never gone in the first place.
By now you've likely heard about the allegations of poor conditions and sick animals at the Niagara Falls area attraction. The Toronto Star published a revealing exposé on the park this past Wednesday, citing evidence from former employees.
But even if the killer whales, dolphins, sea lions and such were in perfect health, there's something that strikes me as inherently wrong about penning up creatures and training them to do flips and dives for big bucks at an amusement park. Marineland isn't cheap, a family of four costs over $150, and that's just admission.
I'm not even a big fan of Zoos, although if they're regulated they do serve a purpose I guess, especially with endangered species.
I wonder though...Would be reading about this story if Marineland was the property of a major news outlet? Somehow I doubt it. It makes me wonder how many stories get spiked because of centralized media ownership.
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I recall going to the park once, when I was six, seven years old. Never going to make that mistake again. And that was before all the roller coasters, "scream towers" and other rides that are Romper Room compared to other parks.
I like animals (although I haven't had a pet in ages) but there are parks of this nature (both private and public) that do way better jobs than Marineland.
When even the woman whose voice has been used for the various silly arrangements for the self-aggrandizing jingle for the park (which hasn't changed for nearly two decades, although most other amusement parks do every so often), when she is demanding her voice no longer be used because she doesn't approve of the park's practices any more, then you know there's a problem.
One most of us have known for years but TV and radio stations have refused to discuss because of the old "don't bite the hand" rule.
New management won't do. Just shut the place down.
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