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Marineland (Ontario)
Encyclopedia
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
amusement and animal exhibition park in the city of Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls, Ontario
Niagara Falls is a Canadian city on the Niagara River in the Golden Horseshoe region of Southern Ontario. The municipality was incorporated on June 12, 1903...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Owing to its proximity to the falls and other natural park areas and its blend of animal attractions and rides, it is one of the main tourist
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
destinations in Niagara Falls, Canada.
History
The park was founded by John Holer, a SloveniaSlovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
n immigrant who had worked for circuses in Europe before coming to Canada in the late 1950s. It first opened in 1961 as "Marine Wonderland and Animal Farm". Holer welded two large steel tanks together and brought in three sea lions and charged one quarter for admission and another to feed the animals. The attraction also featured an underwater show featuring two female swimmers. In 1964, Holer added two dolphins were added along with a few other animals and the attraction became known as "Marineland And Game Farm". By 1966, a 2,000 seat "aquatheatre" was completed along with a "grotto" of aquariums and shops. In the 1970s Kandu(2) the killer whale became the park's major attraction, the "And Game Farm" part of the name was dropped. Although it was still referred to as "Marineland And Game Farm" until the mid 1980s in television and radio advertisements. It was also around this time that the park began adding rides such as Dragon Mountain to encourage teenagers and younger visitors.
Advertising
The park slogan for many years has been "Everyone Loves Marineland". An earlier slogan was "Happiness is Marineland." During the summer months they ran commercials in OntarioOntario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, and Upstate New York television stations (at least as far east as the Burlington
Burlington, Vermont
Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....
, Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
media market) featuring a jingle
Jingle
A jingle is a short tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. The jingle contains one or more hooks and lyrics that explicitly promote the product being advertised, usually through the use of one or more advertising slogans. Ad buyers use jingles in radio and television...
that highlights the features of the park, with new verses added for new attractions every year. The park's mascot is known as King Waldorf, a walrus dressed like a king. The park also runs a campground named after him. Some versions of the jingle have been sung by Suzie McNeil
Suzie McNeil
Susan Jane "Suzie" McNeil is a Canadian pop rock recording artist.-Early life:McNeil was born in Mississauga, Ontario. She has a sister, Laura Norris, a teacher at a public high school in Toronto.-Rock Star: INXS:...
and Marco Di Felice.
Operating season
Marineland is open from the Victoria DayVictoria Day
Victoria Day is a federal Canadian public holiday celebrated on the last Monday before May 25, in honour of Queen Victoria's birthday. The date is also, simultaneously, that on which the current reigning Canadian sovereign's official birthday is recognized...
weekend through to Canadian Thanksgiving weekend in October. Rides operate until nightfall.
Services
- Locker, strollerStrollerStroller may refer to:*A form of baby transport*Stroller , men's daytime semiformal wear*Stroller , showjumping champion...
and wheelchair rentals. - Allows picnicking and has a corporate area for picnics.
- Offers live musical entertainment with PolkaPolkaThe polka is a Central European dance and also a genre of dance music familiar throughout Europe and the Americas. It originated in the middle of the 19th century in Bohemia...
Legend Walter Ostanek performing daily during the peak season.
Animal exhibits
- Friendship Cove: The world's largest whale habitat for viewing orcaOrcaThe killer whale , commonly referred to as the orca, and less commonly as the blackfish, is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family. Killer whales are found in all oceans, from the frigid Arctic and Antarctic regions to tropical seas...
s above ground and below. Until the 2006 season, guests were able to pet and feed the killer whalesOrcaThe killer whale , commonly referred to as the orca, and less commonly as the blackfish, is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family. Killer whales are found in all oceans, from the frigid Arctic and Antarctic regions to tropical seas...
. 'Splash Sessions' have now replaced the interactive sessions in response to guest feedback. The 'Splash Sessions' include the whales jumping and splashing the guests around the walls of the pool. Friendship Cove currently holds one orca: Kiska (female, approx. 35 years-her actual age) . Upon the 2009 opening season, ten belugas from Arctic Cove have been moved into Friendship Cove. Tank arrangements are:
Front Tank (Belugas): Rain, Rose, Meeka, Burnaby, Horus, Jellybean, Tuk, Tofino, Charmin, and Osiris.
Side Tank: Kiska.
Back/Medical Tank: Currently Open.
- Arctic Cove: Opened in 2004, features beluga whales, it is much like Friendship Cove allowing guests to view belugas above and below ground. Guests also have the opportunity to pet and feed the beluga whales for a small fee. These interaction sessions occur throughout the day. Marineland currently holds the world record of 39 beluga whales total in their exhibits, both wild and captive born whales in Arctic Cove and Friendship Cove. Current female beluga whales include: Jubilee, Xena, Eve, Isis, Osiris, Kelowna, Sierra, Skyla, Charmin, Peanut, Oceanna, Caspian, Gemini, Cleopatra, Peekachu, Rain, Acadia, Aurora, Talia, Secord, Lillooet, Rose, Meeka, Mira, Charlotte, Qila, and Skyla's calf 2011. Males: Orion, Burnaby, Tuk, Andre, Belyi, Tofino, Horus, Kodiak, and Tank. The gender of Jubilee's calf of 2011 is currently unknown. 2011 births include a female calf to Skyla on August 25, a male calf named Tank to Acadia on August 30th, a stillbirth to Caspian on September 26, and a calf of unknown gender to Jubilee on October 13-14. Apart from having the highest record of belugas in the world, they also have a very successful breeding programme for belugas, without human intervention for mating, birth control or Artificial Insemination. So far, 15 belugas since 2002 have survived, with 11 in Canada at Marineland and the other 4 in the US.
Tank arrangements are:
Arctic Cove:
Front Tank: Xena and Eve, Cleo and Neva, Andre, Gemini, Peanut, Peekachu, Secord, Kodiak, Orion, Aurora, Sierra and Lillooet, Isis and Qila .
Side Tank: Caspian, Jubilee and baby (unknown gender), Skyla and baby(calf-girl), Talia, and Belyi.
Medical/Back Tank: Kelowna and Charlotte(calf),Oceanna and Mira(Calf), Acadia and Tank(calf-boy).
- The King Waldorf Stadium Show: Featuring mainly sea lionSea LionSea lions are pinnipeds characterized by external ear-flaps, long fore-flippers, the ability to walk on all fours, and short thick hair. Together with the fur seal, they comprise the family Otariidae, or eared seals. There are six extant and one extinct species in five genera...
s, walrusWalrusThe walrus is a large flippered marine mammal with a discontinuous circumpolar distribution in the Arctic Ocean and sub-Arctic seas of the Northern Hemisphere. The walrus is the only living species in the Odobenidae family and Odobenus genus. It is subdivided into three subspecies: the Atlantic...
and bottlenose dolphinsDolphinDolphins are marine mammals that are closely related to whales and porpoises. There are almost forty species of dolphin in 17 genera. They vary in size from and , up to and . They are found worldwide, mostly in the shallower seas of the continental shelves, and are carnivores, mostly eating...
. The King Waldorf Stadium Show includes dolphins jumping in the air and sea lions with comedy. The performing dolphins include: Lida, Tsunami, Echo, Marina and Sonar. Other performing animals include Buttercup,Apollo,Sonja and Smooshi (walrusWalrusThe walrus is a large flippered marine mammal with a discontinuous circumpolar distribution in the Arctic Ocean and sub-Arctic seas of the Northern Hemisphere. The walrus is the only living species in the Odobenidae family and Odobenus genus. It is subdivided into three subspecies: the Atlantic...
es), and Sydney, Malibu, Holly, Cleveland, Maui, Dock and Tide(sea lions). The sealions' and walruses' performances are rotational throughout everyday
- Aquarium Dome: Show mainly features training of the sea lionSea LionSea lions are pinnipeds characterized by external ear-flaps, long fore-flippers, the ability to walk on all fours, and short thick hair. Together with the fur seal, they comprise the family Otariidae, or eared seals. There are six extant and one extinct species in five genera...
s. This tank is also a retiring centre for some older animals. Animals in the dome include Curry, Poppy, Larry and Baby (harbor sealsHarbor SealThe harbor seal , also known as the common seal, is a true seal found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere...
), Sandy, Pebbles, Baker (sea lionSea LionSea lions are pinnipeds characterized by external ear-flaps, long fore-flippers, the ability to walk on all fours, and short thick hair. Together with the fur seal, they comprise the family Otariidae, or eared seals. There are six extant and one extinct species in five genera...
s), and Delphine (northern grey sealPinnipedPinnipeds or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semiaquatic marine mammals comprising the families Odobenidae , Otariidae , and Phocidae .-Overview: Pinnipeds are typically sleek-bodied and barrel-shaped...
). - Warehouse: This area is a 4 quadron tank area, being larger than Aquarium Dome and King Waldorf Theatre. Marineland has several animals off exhibit from King Waldorf Theatre(backstage-warehouse). They are: Sonja,Apollo,Smooshi,Buttercup(out for performance and training only), Zeus and Pandora(Walruses), Surfer,Coral,Tide,Dock(adult sea lions, out for performance and training only, Surfer and Coral are retired now), Malibu, Sydney, Holly, Cleveland and Maui( young female sea lions, they have started performance 2011 and training 2010), Jack(Gray Seal-retired), Rolo, Squamish and Pepper(harbor seals). Their 5 dolphins are moved here for the winter season.
- Other Animals: Marineland has many animals throughout the park that are not cetaceaCetaceaThe order Cetacea includes the marine mammals commonly known as whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Cetus is Latin and is used in biological names to mean "whale"; its original meaning, "large sea animal", was more general. It comes from Ancient Greek , meaning "whale" or "any huge fish or sea...
ns or pinnipedPinnipedPinnipeds or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semiaquatic marine mammals comprising the families Odobenidae , Otariidae , and Phocidae .-Overview: Pinnipeds are typically sleek-bodied and barrel-shaped...
s. Marineland has carried over these animals from its days as a 'game farm'.
- BearBearBears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
s: an area featuring black bearsAmerican black bearThe American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
sits below a viewing deck, where visitors can throw Corn Pops cereal (originally marshmallows) to them. - Fallow deerFallow DeerThe Fallow Deer is a ruminant mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. This common species is native to western Eurasia, but has been introduced widely elsewhere. It often includes the rarer Persian Fallow Deer as a subspecies , while others treat it as an entirely different species The Fallow...
: The deer are in a fenced in area which allow people to move about freely, food is provided for a fee. - Fish: An area in which carpCarpCarp are various species of oily freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. The cypriniformes are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups have certain...
and koiKoior more specifically , are ornamental varieties of domesticated common carp that are kept for decorative purposes in outdoor koi ponds or water gardens....
gather around "deck bridges", allowing easy viewing and feeding (for a fee), - ElkRed DeerThe red deer is one of the largest deer species. Depending on taxonomy, the red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Asia Minor, parts of western Asia, and central Asia. It also inhabits the Atlas Mountains region between Morocco and Tunisia in northwestern Africa, being...
and BuffaloAmerican BisonThe American bison , also commonly known as the American buffalo, is a North American species of bison that once roamed the grasslands of North America in massive herds...
: allow for easy viewing of these creatures grazing. Feeding also available for a fee.
Rides and attractions
- Dragon MountainDragon MountainDragon Mountain is a steel roller coaster located at Marineland near Niagara Falls, Ontario in Canada Built in 1983 by Arrow Dynamics, it was the tallest roller coaster in the world before the opening of Magnum XL-200 at Cedar Point. It was also the last time that a coaster designated "tallest in...
Roller Coaster: an ArrowArrow DynamicsArrow Dynamics was a roller coaster and amusement ride design company based in Clearfield, Utah, United States. In 2002, the company went bankrupt but was quickly bought by fellow amusement ride manufacturer S&S Power to form S&S Arrow. During its peak, Arrow Dynamics was responsible for some of...
roller coaster which opened as the world's largest (not longest) non-stop roller coaster - covering 30 acres (1,306,801.2 sq ft). It features tunnels that lead to the queue areaQueue areaQueue areas are places in which people queue for goods or services. Examples include checking out groceries or other goods that have been collected in a self service shop, in a shop without self service, at an ATM, at a ticket desk, a city bus, or in a taxi stand.Queueing is a phenomenon in a...
, has two consecutive vertical loops and the only bowtie loop of its kind in the world. - Sky Hawk: a spinning ride which also moves vertically up and down. Features one- or two-person cages without restricting belts or harnesses.
- Wave Swinger: a swing ride with a moving top that allows the swings to move up and down. The first adult ride the park ever had.
- Lady Bug Coaster: children's roller coaster, features a lady bug cart.
- Tivoli Wheel: a "hanging" ferris wheelFerris wheelA Ferris wheel is a nonbuilding structure consisting of a rotating upright wheel with passenger cars attached to the rim in such a way that as the wheel turns, the cars are kept upright, usually by gravity.Some of the largest and most modern Ferris wheels have cars mounted on...
. - Magic Experience: a spinning ride located near the bear area; features statues of bears on the ride.
- Kandu's Twister: Opened in 2002, this ride is a "teacup" style ride that features orcas on the sides of the cups.
- Space Avenger: a spinning ride that features a control panel in the cages allowing the rider to move vertically up and down.
- Dragon Boats: a simple carousel with a Viking boat theme.
- Flying Dragon a ride that offers thrills for a lot of ages, goes up into the air then falls back down without inversion.
- Hurricane Cove a generic Mack Sea Storm ride.
- Sky Screamer: Opened in 2004 and is the world's highest triple tower ride 91.4 metres (299.9 ft). It is situated on a 150 feet (45.7 m) hill, making the total height of the ride 450 feet (137.2 m), which affords the rider an impressive view of the city and the falls. It is a recognizable landmark with the Marineland logo at the top clearly visible at night. Ascending riders experience 4G'sG-forceThe g-force associated with an object is its acceleration relative to free-fall. This acceleration experienced by an object is due to the vector sum of non-gravitational forces acting on an object free to move. The accelerations that are not produced by gravity are termed proper accelerations, and...
, while descending riders experience a -2G'sG-forceThe g-force associated with an object is its acceleration relative to free-fall. This acceleration experienced by an object is due to the vector sum of non-gravitational forces acting on an object free to move. The accelerations that are not produced by gravity are termed proper accelerations, and...
. - Topple Tower: Opened in 2008 this ride has a circular gondola where the passengers sit, is elevated into the air and then starts spinning, and the tower rocks back and forth on a 60 degree angle, giving it a 30 degree angle with the ground, and its scenery features a walrus on top of the tower.
- Viking Adventure: Opened in 2006, it is a small sized Viking boat ride that operates on a track to rock passengers back and forth and spin them around.
- Orca Screamer: Opened in 2005, this is a miniature, child size one-tower version of the famous Sky Screamer.
- Bumble Bee: Opened in 2005, this brightly coloured children's ride allows parents and children to sit in a car together a be elevated and spun around.
- Ocean Odyssey: Opened in 2010, this family ride allows guests to sit in fish shaped cars that are attached to large arms. The ride spins in a circular motion while the arms move up and down.
Animal deaths
In March 2000 a whale died, this time it was a three year old orca named Malik who's mother was Nootka5. Malik died due to a deficient immune system.Also in 2001, Member of Parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
Libby Davies
Libby Davies
Libby Davies is a Canadian Member of Parliament for the New Democratic Party , representing the riding of Vancouver East in Vancouver, British Columbia. In 2007, she was named Deputy Leader of the federal NDP, jointly with Thomas Mulcair.-Background:Davies was born in Aldershot, England and...
tabled a private member's bill which aimed to ban the live-capture and trade of whales and dolphins. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans commissioned a scientific study, but Minister Herb Dhaliwal
Herb Dhaliwal
Harbance Singh Dhaliwal, PC is a Canadian politician.Born to a Sikh family in Punjab, India, Dhaliwal's family immigrated to Vancouver when he was six. He attended John Oliver Secondary School, graduating in 1972...
chose not to act on any of the recommendations.