Cruelty complaint filed over Kiska, lonely orca at Marineland

Marineland’s lone orca Kiska desperately needs help.

This month, two disturbing viral videos showed Kiska, Canada’s last surviving captive orca, floating listlessly and alone at Marineland—renewing international calls to protect her well-being.

Kiska has lived in complete isolation at Marineland since 2011, and has outlived all five of her calves, who tragically died at young ages. Orcas are incredibly complex social animals, and it's heartbreaking to imagine how she must feel being isolated in an unnatural, concrete tank. Experts believe that Kiska is the only captive orca on the entire planet with no companionship.

Animal Justice lawyers just filed a formal complaint with provincial authorities to request an immediate investigation into whether Marineland is violating animal cruelty laws. It’s against the law to cause animals distress and suffering, and that includes psychological harm—not just physical harm.

And this morning, our executive director Camille Labchuk was a guest on CTV Your Morning to discuss Kiska’s plight and the captivity of whales and dolphins in Canada, and to help raise national awareness for this critical issue.

In 2019, Animal Justice and our supporters helped Canada pass a national ban on the captivity of whales and dolphins, along with the breeding of these animals. But Kiska and other whales currently in captivity were exempt from that ban. Unfortunately, they have been denied the skills they need to survive in the wild, so their release into the open ocean is not an option.

But Canada’s last remaining captive whales may have a better life. Canada’s first-ever seaside sanctuary for whales is currently planned for Port Hilford, Nova Scotia, led by Whale Sanctuary Project. Animal Justice is urging governments to fund and promote the sanctuary, and help provide a better future for captive whales rescued from the aquarium industry.

Thank you for supporting our mission at Animal Justice to protect whales like Kiska who deserve so much more than a life of misery in a tiny tank. Let’s keep working together to forage a new path, and rescue whales and dolphins from the cruelty of captivity.