News from Dylan Powell and Marineland Animal Defense
(A Brief Foreword Note from Niagara At Large publisher Doug Draper – As an environment writer who has editorialized for more than two decades against the capture and imprisonement of his world’s most magnificent marine in cement tugs for commercial gain, I applaud the growing number of younger people who are saying no to places like SeaWorld and Marineland.)
This May, hudreds of advocates for the humane treatment of animals marched through the tourist districts of Niagara Falls, Ontario.
This past May 17th the captive animal facility Marineland Canada opened for its 53rd season and it was met with the first ever march through downtown Niagara Falls onto the facility!
Hundreds took to the streets of Niagara Falls – marching from HWY 420 and through the tourist district – to let the public know that we want an end to animal captivity!
The crowd was electric – driven by chants and a marching band – and the impact was undeniable. A new chapter in the 40+ years of opposition to Marineland has begun.
Some of the best photos of the day are attached and links to some of the best media coverage is below.
A huge thank you to everyone who volunteered, participated and supported the #MarchOnMarineland. This could not have happened without a massive team effort and we are so grateful for all of the support!
Marineland Wildlife “Dying” to Entertain You (Now Magazine) – http://www.nowtoronto.com/news/story.cfm?content=198064
My Daughters First Visit to Marineland (Niagara At Large) – https://niagaraatlarge.com/2014/05/18/my-daughters-first-visit-to-marineland/
March On Marineland (Video – The Indignants) – https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=717232701651899
A reminder to everyone that this weekend (Saturday May 24 from noon to 2 p.m. in front of the Marineland park) we follow this up with our demonstration on site as part of “Empty the Tanks” – please come out and support this global day of protest against animal captivity!
Empty the Tanks – https://www.facebook.com/events/599980720088182/
Marineland Animal Defense —
“There’s about as much educational benefit studying dolphins in captivity as there would be studying mankind by only observing prisoners held in solitary.” – Jacques Cousteau
Donations – we accept donations and email money transfers to our paypal: marinelandanimaldefense@gmail.com
Niagara At Large would also encourage you to visit Dylan Powell’s blog site at http://dylanxpowell.com/ .
(NOW IT IS YOUR TURN. Niagara At Large encourages you to share your views on this post. A reminder that we only post comments by individuals who share their first and last name with them.)
Niagara At Large 
As much as I’ve always been an admirer of undersea expert Jacques Cousteau, I feel that his illuminating quote is a misdirection of logic for our times as we examine an enterprise like Marineland. Not everyone has the chance or the privilege to actually view animals such as dolphins in the wild, and as for the fractionally-small population of sea creatures held in a confining environment of captivity, I feel the benefits for knowledge and enlightenment, along with the entertainment attraction for tourism, far outweigh the wayward plights of animal rights protestors. These people need to get out of their storybook world and find some really worthwhile causes, or get themselves a day job. It might be more beneficial to direct their wrath against Japanese fishing practices, where exotic sea animals are slaughtered by the hundreds, simply for the sake of rich guys’ aphrodisiacs. A few in captivity for the kiddies to see and enjoy is no reason to make like an anti-war protestor. There are causes exponentially more important than trying to turn Marineland into just another amusement park. Perhaps this massive attempt at negative publicity will result in free advertising and further enhance their bottom-line.
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There will be a protest held at Marineland May 31st by other protest groups. Contact Niagara Action for Animals (NAFA) http://www.niagaraactionforanimals.org/ for more details .
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In response to Robert Tripp, I have a day job and I’m sure the majority of the protesters are employees somewhere too. This is the second time I’ve read we need to get a life or a job… Protestors are not crazy people. We are normal everyday people with jobs. Over time though, we stopped long enough to educate ourselves on the cruel capture techniques and the lives these intelligent mammals endure, all for the sake of entertainment. Kiska captured in Iceland in 1979 now swims endless lifeless circles in an artificial environment all alone, when we all know they are social creatures and very much like us humans, they don’t do well in isolation. Kiska has given birth to five calves all of them have died in captivity at very young ages. Orcas prefer to catch and eat live fish, not dead fish from a bucket. They also swim in pods and they swim 120 km’s a day in straight lines. In the wild they use Echolocation to find their food. In a tank, we strip them of this strong sense too and remove them from their natural environments and remove them from their pods and watch their young ones die prematurely. Does this seem right to you? Marineland already has over 1000 dead land and sea animals buried onsite so what’s one more… Watch Blackfish and see if you still feel the same way. Once upon a time, women could not vote, black people were slaves, gay people had to hide who they really were, spousal abuse was tolerated etc… One day, marine parks will be a thing of the past. I agree they serve a purpose and to see the dolphins and whales up close is exciting but at what cost to the sea mammals ! Marineland has a place where the sea mammals are stored during the winter months called the barn. The Barn has no sunlight and no fresh air. The tanks are water prisons with enough chlorine to cause blindness to these mammals. Protesters are just like you, but we care about animals enough to join a march and make a sign to protest through the streets of Niagara Falls in the hopes that it makes a difference. We had far more support than discouragement during this walk and it’s just a matter of time before people wake up and show some respect for sea mammals. To see a trainer waiving to a paying crowd while standing on the face of an Orca or a Dolphin is wrong… The world we live in has so many things that need addressing and fixing and I say good for those who speak out publicly like the employees of Marineland did. Everyone should speak their minds on the things that are wrong. Marineparks who profit at the expense of a life is just one issue but you feel free to fight your own fight. If you have a cause or something that you believe is wrong and you want to do something about it, I won’t accuse you of being unemployed or living in a storybook world. Good for every single person who has an opinion and wants to make a difference for the better.
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I applaud your convictions and your right to act on it, Donna. I’m just saying that the actual mechanics of life in Marineland represent a veritable microcosm of some immensely larger issues. I guess I’m just one of many who would ignore those local abuses for the sake of the larger benefits, and downplay the natural tugging at my own heart-strings and admirable view of the diversity in the animal kingdom, with childlike sentiment and respect. We must do a far better job at managing this planet entrusted to us, with the environment and the many interconnected and balanced species which inhabit it. I just felt that the narrow focus on Marineland was a little much, and I realize that not all protestors are lost in a idealistic fog or looking for something other than employment. We all experience varying levels of specific issues, and I suppose my own has seen many deadbeats who take on the mantra of championing special causes while causing a significant degree of damage themselves via rebellious actions, as in the G-20 Summit protests. Carry on with what you believe, and never forget your quest to make a difference for the better. I can’t argue with that.
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