Ocean Activists Launch ‘Not Everyone Loves Marineland’ Contest

A Foreward by Doug Draper

For the half century since its founding, Marineland has been a very popular amusement park and has been one of the pillars of a lucrative tourist industry in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

If anyone doubts that, just drive by the sprawling Marineland park any sunny day of the summer and check out how many cars are filling its parking lots and how many men, women and children are lining the ticket booths at its front gates.

But not ‘everyone loves Marineland, contrary to that iconic old ad jingle that repeats that line over and over again on television and radio stations for thousands of miles around. There are some – maybe just a handful, for all we know – who don’t love Marineland for its keeping of whales, including Orcas and belugas, and other marine mammals in captivity for the pleasure of the masses.

Bob Timmons, an artist from Toronto who has joined Niagara activists over the years in picketing in front of the Marineland amusement park in Niagara Falls, Ontario, wants to get a better idea of how many people out there may not love Marineland for its keeping of Marineland with a contest, complete with prizes, he has recently launched called; “Not Everyone Loves Marineland.”

In front of Marineland this July, some picketers express their dislike for the park's keeping marine mammals in captivity. Photo by Doug Draper

You can find out all about it by visiting http://www.bobtimmons.org/oceanactivistsunited.htm  and clicking on the video where he describes the rules of this contest.

In the meantime, if you happen to be taking a vacation this summer on the east or west coast where there are responsible whale watch journeys you can attend with your friends and family, try one of those out and celebrate these great mammals in their natural environment.

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