MARINE LAND : EXPLORING THE ABANDONED PARK AND EXPOSING THE HORRIBLE TRUTH : NIAGARA FALLS : CANADA

[@jimgrimmroth9205]

I worked at Marineland in the 1989 until about 1993 or so. I started in the animal care department which maintained and fed the terrestrial animals. I was then transferred to the marine mammal department when the first orca calf was born in the summer of 1989. I was part of the “whale watch” team that would observe and note all the mother and calf’s behaviours. Eventually, when the calf got older, I worked in the fish house preparing the food for all the marine mammals. I just want to say that the people who’s job it was to care for these animals on a day-to-day basis really did their best under the circumstances. The marine mammal trainers and handlers loved the animals, as did I. There were some very good people that worked there at that time. Holer though, was a real piece of work. He would patrol around in his brown Ford Bronco and would literally strike fear into anyone that had to deal with him.

[@AcesAdventures1]

That’s really fascinating

[@meowblackk]

Holer was a clear piece of sh^t. I blamed workers for being included but I appreciate this insight & apologize for judging. Thank you for doing the best that you could. I shame whoever has now purchased this blame & continues to lie. You know he's keeping his identity as the owner secret for a reason, cause he's following the footsteps of a piece of shit to probably attempt to be the same way. Take care

[@jimgrimmroth9205]

@@meowblackk When I was doing the observations on the baby orca, I would work from 7pm to 7am. John Holer would patrol around the park at night in his Ford Bronco with a huge spotlight on it. It was rumored that he had a loaded 12 gauge in there with him, and I don’t doubt this for one minute. I would be sitting in King Waldorf’s (their walrus mascot) throne on the stage of the main pools at the time (the beluga habitat didn’t exist then). John Holer would just appear at like 3am just to check on me. He also wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer. His success definitely wasn’t due to any sort of business savvy. Just luck at being in the right place at the right time.

[@meowblackk]

@@jimgrimmroth9205 Wow. That's both creepy & extremely unnerving to behaviour. He definitely didn't seem like a sharp tool, you're right. I also would not want to mess about with someone having a shotgun close by. It's too bad money is usually the reason these douchebags get into this business. I feel for the animals & I appreciate that you did the best you could do. I hope you're doing well now. I bet you miss the animals, eh? I also bet you appreciate the animals that were removed. We're you working there when animals passed? I hope I'm not overstepping bounderings asking that. I wish we could just shut down these pieces of garbo everywhere.🤬😥

[@daveysdash]

You still aided in the hostage of wild animals. I love them to...but not as a capture. How many animals were under your hostage care? DISGUSTING!!!

[@sarahvanklaveren3978]

As a local. Hated john. Constantly toted his guns around, threatening people.. the horror's that occurred within the walls of that place. That is NOT to say I hadn't been there. As a kid.. as a young adult.. my heart ached seeing the ride that once brought happiness to many.. but to know the history, the neglect and the absolute horrors... its better that it's sold off.. animals ACTUALLY relocated.. and maybe a better park to enhance the environment around niagara. Ps - AMAZING work on this video. Amazing job. Loved it. Instant follow

[@AcesAdventures1]

Thank you so much ❤

[@Neznut]

Ace, seriously this is your best work! Thank You for giving us a glimpse. RIP Kiska and I pray all the animals will find loving homes. Wither it be back in the wild or an appropriate habitat.

[@evemondenge571]

Hey this is eve from ilovedeadmalls! This is an amazing video. Thanks for taking the time to make it. Growing up in the early 2000s near Toronto my family and I would make a day trip out of going to Marine Land. As a child I loved it! I remember feeding the deer, watching the packed marine life shows, and leaving the amusement park with one of their inflatables. I remember their commercials frequently being played on TV. It brought back a core memory of mine when you walked through that ladybug ride because I vividly remember going on it. I was too young/too scared to go on the drop tower even though I thought that it was the coolest ride there. It’s been years since I have visited the park and it is so sad to see what it has become now. Now that I am older I realize that they have had a long history of animal mistreatment and I feel guilty for once supporting them. My heart broke seeing that shot of the lonely bear in that enclosure on a hot summers day. Thank you for putting this video out to bring awareness to what has and still is going on behind closed doors at Marine Land.

[@rachenna7763]

I just want to say I'm so glad you brought up the trailer park situation. I think everyone should know about this, it's horrible. Thank you for exposing these issues as I didn't even know about all of them and it's so important to share these things. Your videos are very interesting and it's really cool you decided to do marineland. I'm from Ontario and I appreciate the knowledge and work put into this.

[@Ketowski]

Agreed. Well said!

[@shanecoenraad1705]

Is it just me or does Marine Land look like a really good COD map?

[@SuburbanSkiəs]

I remember seeing an ad for Marineland as a child, and bothering him to take me. Having grown up in the Toronto area in his teenage years before moving to the West Coast, my dad instantly shut me down. Said the place was a dreary snoozefest since forever. Rides got boring fast, and the abuse and neglect of the animals was evident, even to the guest. Being a naive child who adored (and still does) sea life, I did not believe him. However, now as an adult studying marine biology, I am thankful that he remained firm with me that there would be no trips to Marineland. Makes me so sad hearing about these poor creatures. I hope the best for the ones that are still at the park, and that they can be rehabilitated at a sancuary or similar.

[@smerchly]

Yet thousands of people would take little Susie and Johnny there knowing how the animals were treated while ignoring the 'informed' who displayed large signs near the gates exposing Marineland's abuse of the animals. That made the visitors partly responsible for the abuse .

[@margaretniemela9735]

I did take my kids there when they were young 20 years ago to ride the rides and to see Kiska. Also the beluga whales, deer and bears but I felt so bad for all the animals especially when I saw an injured deer in the deer park. I even commented to an employee that it wasn't right to keep Kiska captivated. I took a helicopter ride over Niagara Falls and Marineland. While doing so I took some aerial pictures of Marineland. One picture I captured looks like it could be a burial ground of all the animals that died there.

[@kevinconmy3625]

Thankyou for documenting this.I see you,and your viewers love for these beatiful animals!I implore someone soon relocates these animals were they can live out the rest of their lives,being loved and cared for.Back in the wi I d if possible. I hope they are looked after to document.They csn live out life happy and healthy!!!

[@Ketowski]

The animals don’t have anywhere else they can go in Canada. What many Marine parks in North America do too often is sell their animals to places like Arabian or Asian countries that have fewer regulations.

[@ridley1230]

I just found my family’s photos from when we went in 2007 for my birthday. I would’ve been 6 at the time so I don’t remember everything but what I do has stuck with me. My first memory is of how exhausted we were. When me and my sister weren’t being carried on our parent’s back, we were complaining about how tired we were. My second and much more vivid memory is, of course, the animals. I’ve always been an animal lover so I was more than ecstatic to see Orca’s and Belugas for the first time. I was young so I couldn’t recognize the inhumane conditions the whales were being kept in, but I recognized it with the bears. Oh gosh, that shot at the end of the video is like an exact image from my memory. I’d been to a larger zoo before so I knew want a healthy bear is supposed to look like. The way they were all huddled up against the fence, skinny with matted fur, struck a serious wrong cord in me. My parents were horrified too. They later made my sister and I promise to never ask to go there again. Looking back on the old photos, the marine mammals were not fairing any better. My fond memories are just the clouded judgment of a child who didn’t know any better. If I ever get to see Orcas, dolphins, belugas or any of these other animals again, I hope it will be in the wild where they belong.

[@Ketowski]

Thanks for sharing your memories. Captive animals can’t be returned to the wild as mature adults. We learned that with Keiko. They don’t have the survival skills or the needed support of their family. Even domestic horses that sometimes make it in the wild have different communication habits than fully domesticated horses.

[@ridley1230]

@@Ketowski yeah I know there’s no chance for the animals from marineland to be wild again. I just ment I hope to one day see other whales in the wild

[@ibeleaf]

i went there in 1996 when i was 8 years old. even as an 8 year old i could tell the place had bad vibes. i can vividly remember telling my dad that marineland sucks and i want to go home.

[@shawnjdm7064]

I went to Marineland a few times when i was a kid. I remember telling my mom i liked wonderland better. Marineland gave me bad feelings, wonderland always gave me happy vibes.

[@AshleyY-js3ov]

@@shawnjdm7064 i agree wonderland is better

[@NOBODYCARES-i6p]

I live next door to a family whose mother was 1 of the people who was kicked from that trailer park. Not only did it take the life of 1 of the residents… because they couldn’t cope with the idea of having nowhere to go; BUT also displaced my neighbours mother for nearly a DECADE before she found a permanent new area to call home; what people don’t know is DURING THE TIME of this trailer park closing, they were amping up police control over homeless areas of the area also. Essentially it became almost impossible for them to rest without being displaced … and for what? For that site to never even become a gosh darn thing. How absolutely disgustingly tragic. The WORST story outside of its mistreatment of their animals HAS TO BE THE TRAILER PARK CLOSURE …

[@pmcguigan2151]

They should have shut this place down ages ago. Been there 50 years ago, not a fan of animals held captive for human entertainment purposes, or the guy who owned this nightmare.

[@AcesAdventures1]

He was quite the character

[@JoeBobPerdue666]

I disagree

[@jasonbyl8695]

They have a new owner that just took over that park in May. Give them time to put a plan in place.

[@AcesAdventures1]

@@jasonbyl8695 we know who the owner is

[@jasonbyl8695]

IMO if it is Cedar Fair I think they can turn this park around.

[@philippickles693]

The owner never had the money to properly care for the animals because he kept spending on the rides, etc. His arrogance unnecessarily killed a lot of animals, and those left at the park should be the top priority of any buyer.. a thousand acres could build a heck of a theme park...

[@Jordizzan]

Exactly

[@AussieBodybuilder]

Lies

[@Ketowski]

@@AussieBodybuilder dum da dum dum

[@devium]

I still can't beleive this place stayed open as long as it has, with all the issues its had. And to leave the animals in the absolute squalor they are being left in. For people to be able to get in and find where the animals are and to taunt, torment, and possibly hurt them while having no supervision is insane to me. If people are not paying attention and come upon those bears, i have no doubt it would turn into a missing persons turned body recovery situation. I dont think i ever went there personally but i know family who did. As a kid everyone wanted to go, it seemed like a really fun place where you could actually get up close with these animals. I cannot wait to hear the day this place is nothing but a distant memory and a clear learning opportunity to prevent this kind of shit from continuing.

[@AcesAdventures1]

Pretty crazy

[@Mom2my4blessings]

😭how sad I wanted to cry for the orca whale that lived over 40 years in that state and the other animals that died too soon from neglect. I could barely see the beluga whales. I feel awful for the other animals tucked away lonely out of sight. The worker you spoke to seemed very nice and honest about the park. I looked up the ticket prices. It’s $10 for children and $15 for adults. Plus they have season passes for 3 attractions?! 🤯. Great video Ace!

[@zachguest8565]

no body loved marineland to begin with thats they never had any money to ad new rides canadas wonderlands the park everyone loves always have been they have drwan costomers away from marineland since the begining

[@liamwatson5125]

I’m happy they closed down MarineLand. It was a criminally insane place to go to. Capturing and smuggling wild animals just for fun.

[@AcesAdventures1]

Pretty awful

[@ChristophWhite]

It is open

[@liamwatson5125]

@@ChristophWhite Nobody wants it open.

[@Coolizzy-e5l]

Everyone hates marineland

[@AshleyY-js3ov]

Yes theres nothing left of it now

[@wild20000]

There is a place a know in ontario Where u walk the land and blow the $$ With crappy rides and expesive food Everyone hates marine land This is ahat i sung for years

[@briano9397]

I loved it. People complain about marine land and the Toronto zoo fools every one to think they're so humane. No double standards.

[@thedude4792]

Had alot of fun there as a child

[@burningatthetrailhead]

I had a beluga nose me real hard in the late 90s and never wanted to go back.

[@Crocogator]

Coming back to MarineLand in 2024 is surreal. I grew up going there from 90 to 00. Of course back then I had no idea about the problems. Seeing the rides dismantled, seeing the animals suffering, seeing how empty and overgrown everything is... It's depressing. I had so many formative trips there. I still have a purple dolphin plushie I got from the gift shop in 98.

[@TheCoasterSerpent]

If its owned by Six Flags / Cedar Fair now, they are absolutely not going to want to be associated with the bad publicity and history here. Its likely that they are doing a lot of planning on getting these animals relocated. Probably talks with zoos and other other organizations. I see them dismantling the rides either to preserve them so the weather doesn't completely destroy them, or to ship them off elsewhere if they decide closing the place for good is preferable. If it reopens, I wouldn't see it in 2025, and would be more inclined to see it reopen in 2026 after some consolidation and renovation. May be too much of a money sink though for the current Six Flags to want to deal with.

[@AcesAdventures1]

Probably accurate

[@Ketowski]

You’re probably right. My impression is that Six Flags might try to get it rezoned after it relocates the remaining animals and use it for real estate development. With the current Ontario government, development is a big priority, so many projects can be expedited.

[@sharonrigs7999]

I grew up in NF. 3/4s of my HS worked summers there. I did the sound and lights at Marineland during and immediately after HS. I got frequent Beejes in the sound booth 😂. Oh....the crazy owner liked to get drunk and turn loose a tame deer to ' hunt ' after hours,or so some said. I once found 2 piecesof .44 Mag brass, so that supports that rumor

[@JustDuckiest]

Kiska's story breaks my heart, but I felt relief when she died. Obviously moving her somewhere she can cohabitate with other marine mammals would have been better, but things were moving so slowly and I'm sure she didn't want to be here anymore. Fuck Marine Land. Glad it's going.

[@jamesmccoy3079]

I never heard of this place until Bright Sun Films covered it,I liked seeing your take on it. If I'm not mistaken Marineland is actually bigger than Disney World at 1,000 arces,the fact the total area of the park is only half utilized is insane.

[@chrismichaels7951]

Larger than Disney Land in CA, nowhere near the size of Disney World. Still huge. As kids, it felt like it took forever to get from ride to ride.

[@Ketowski]

The acreage is bigger, but the lark isn’t. That’s because land used to be less expensive when the founder originally bought it. It was farmland in the outskirts of Toronto and southeastern Ontario, so largely underdeveloped until the 90s and early 2000s.

[@sunnGoddess]

Rip kiska my soul family and to all the souls buried behind marin land thank you Phil /walrus whisperer for the work you have done for all the innocent !No more zoos no more marine parks all around the world this is still happening to innocent souls

[@Ketowski]

Thanks for doing this. It’s important documentation for these animals and the park’s questionable history.

[@davidanthony5894]

Correction: Where you're walking at 09:16, that's a restricted area, the tail-end of the ride, and where the trains are stored - Not the area where patrons would line up. All of that is inside at the 12:15 mark.

[@dsandler92]

I am at Niagara Falls for the first time this week and saw the Marineland advertising sign outside my hotel

[@Maxsmom13]

30 years ago my uncle took me here numerous times. Even as a small child, I could see how poorly the animals were kept.

[@Boa_Omega]

Bright Sun films just did his return visit after a year.place is a sad and tiny fraction of what it was,and what it was ,was not good .

[@Mom2my4blessings]

I watched the same video.

[@GetBehindTheScenes]

That bear looks so sad, place needs shut and animals transferred.

[@Michael-p3q8y]

That poor bear makes me sad

[@DoomPlague]

Oh, my interest in dead malls has crossed over into my love of amusement parks. This place always seemed strange and poorly ran but I hope I somehow get a chance to ride the roller coaster. It's a unique one.

[@AcesAdventures1]

It’s a crazy place

[@Ketowski]

Maybe you will if Six Flags develops it.

[@johnlai4129]

Man I use too want too go to Marineland when I was a kid. Glad it never happened to be honest.

[@mariebelladonna437]

Hi Ace. Fantastic video. I've seen 2 or 3 others, including Sal's, and through them I've learned Marine Land's strange, tragic, and infuriating story, and watched the park's slow, very painful downward spiral. But this is the first time I've learned so much about John Holer's backstory,, and the first time I've seen inside the closed-off areas. Watching this park continue to limp along is so cringy. That splash pad area looked so gross, there's no way I'd walk in that water barefoot. And all those poor, lonely animals. Marine Land needs to be wiped off the map. If this park was a dog, it would be old, blind, sick, and missing a leg and patches of fur. And we'd put it out of its misery, to end its suffering. But, considering the way it made, and still makes, its own animals suffer, I think there's a lot of poetic justice in letting it languish in metaphorical agony itself, in watching it die a slow, agonizing death. Though, I like you, feel bad for the remaining employees. And the animals, of course. More so for them, because they don't have a choice to leave, like the people do. I can only hope those animals are rehomed in much better places-or, for the ones that can be, which probably isn't many, set free-very soon (the dolphin gets "good care", lmao what a joke), and that the park is replaced with something that better suits the area, and truly benefits the people there. Thank you so much for this documentation. One of the best videos on this place I've seen so far. Admire your respect and tact on the subject, especially your restraint, because I know you were feeling lots of ways about things, as we all do, lol. Stay safe, and I'll be looking forward to the next one!

[@Ketowski]

Many marine parks animals get sold to Arabian or Asian countries that are starting up their own operations, like Dubai. The regulations are usually less stringent in those locations so they can use the animals for entertainment.

[@TheSeptemberRose]

The poor bears! Are they being fed? This is so cruel!

[@BeverlyBigglesworth]

No. Nobody is feeding them. They were convicted of animal cruelty this week regarding the bears.

[@RoundyTheRoundCat]

@@BeverlyBigglesworth This is a blatant lie. the bears are being fed. they were absolutely fined for cruelty but the animals are still in the park being cared for. (and I hate marineland just as much, if not more, than most of the people commenting here so don't come at me.)

[@BeverlyBigglesworth]

@@RoundyTheRoundCat you’re technically right. One of the charges was not enough access to water - which you’re right -that isn’t the exact same as food. Thanks for the specification.

[@RoundyTheRoundCat]

@@BeverlyBigglesworth and the 3 that this related to have been removed and sent to sanctuaries long ago. There is nothing to suggest that the present time, the bears are not being fed or watered. Are they living well? No. I doubt it. They're likely bored and miserable. But they're likely being fed and watered or else there would be charges relating to more than 3/ many bear. I believe there are currently around 15.

[@celestialgirl8893]

Man i went with my family in 1994 and felt bad then and still do know. This should have been closed a long time ago. 😢 Free the animals.

[@Ketowski]

I felt that way, too. I went on a school trip and never wanted to go back.

[@doobyboy21]

John Holer saw me crying because I couldnt do a ride because I was too short so he asked my parents permission and brought me to get an Ice Cream in his golf cart... The employees where so use to this that right away they asked me what flavor I wanted. Those weird 80's...

[@HussFan]

Absolutely incredible footage. What a weird and sad place. The odd layout really makes it seem as if it's something build in Planet Coaster, really a weird choice. Seing the animals still being left in the abandoned area is absolutely disgusting. I hope that cedar fair uses this land to make a nice theme park, as it has so much potential.

[@sal]

Wonderful film, brother. So sad, but incredibly tasteful and well done.

[@AcesAdventures1]

Thank you my brother

[@Ketowski]

Agreed.

[@robertjordan7323]

Thanks for posting. Sad to see it go bad like this.

[@realbuckwell]

Think most the rides are taken apart not for sale but because there in winter storage... they put most of the moving parts and carts of rides away in a garage for winter where workers refurbish them

[@davidanthony5894]

Great Video! Where did you get the footage @ 28:16 ? SO cool. Kinda eerie to see the master plan from the early 80s. So much did not materialize from John's vision!

[@chrismarr8811]

Thank you for sharing this, it’s very sad. I’m a fellow Canadian

[@alisar8986]

Very sad. Never been to the park myself, but remember the commercials they used to play all the time back in the 90s when I was a kid.

[@carle8608]

So sad to see the park in such a state of abandonment. My friends, family and I spent many visits to the park. One thing about the marine animals, my exposure to them in captivity raised my awareness of their plight and as a result I like many other people have come to understand that these beautiful sentient beings do not belong in such places. I have evolved to the point where I wish to see all Zoos closed. The animals should all be free and we humans should finally learn to keep a respectful distance. It breaks my heart to think of the orcas trapped for years in those small tanks. Cruelty beyond my understanding.

[@UniverseOfMemez]

The lonley whale made me sad

[@victoriabardsley8097]

Echo was there when I was in seventh grade - we did a trip there for school and I was ignorant to the bad things happening. :(

[@michellelise210]

The castle was where they kept deer, hundreds of them roaming around in there and forced to interact with humans. Like a petting zoo. They looked so sad. Crazy watching this as I have so many memories there and remember the long walks. I don’t know how it’s still open, and I don’t know how they will relocate the animals. I live just down the road now but grew up about an hour or so away. Huge property, so much land.

[@louisedumais6496]

they didn't say that the animals are gone, they said that the animals are not open to the pubic, these are wild animals and don't do well with people interaction, well put together and informative video

[@nicoracien1924]

Went there with my kids 10 years ago, I remember how large the park was and no shade. Basically went because of the TV ads my kids was seeing

[@HOTJIMI4EVER]

This honestly brakes my heart 💔🙁, I remember going back when I was a kid in like 2005 with my grandparents .

[@puneet527]

I'm one of those people that loved Marineland....childhood memories and if it wasnt for Marineland, we would never get to see the whales so upclose. I wanted to go back and take those "20 years later" type of photos in the same spots with my kids just like I did with my parents. It's so shocking, before I even got a chance...... First hearing about kiska And now the whole park. By the way, amazing video!

[@xCettx]

I consider the current state of decay of the park and its appearance as a physical manifestation of how they treated those animals. It's like "the jig is up, this is what we really are" It's clear the only way Marineland was able to succeed was from the exploitation of animals. Now those animals are gone, we see what the park really is.

[@philhutchings7354]

I was trampled by the "killer" miniature deer when i was four in 1984 at Marine Land. I still remember the Detol soaked gause wiping over the scrapes. The marine how was so impressive to a kd back then. Wonderland had a smaller marine show back then as well. Only marine land had killer whales.

[@AcesAdventures1]

Wow

[@Jim_Norcross]

Dude....this is your best work. Incredibly touching. Loved it.

[@AcesAdventures1]

Ty!!

[@thejigisup4470]

It's nice to see a place not covered in graffiti/spray paint

[@treykorotash4748]

Not yet

[@johnd2385]

I hope somehow someone is able to take this insane amount of land combined with some decent existing rides, and have the vision to make something great.

[@stanky1508]

crazy to think that the ride at 13:37 was just bought new and installed like 2 years ago

[@seabee73]

Awesome job documenting that. I use to enjoy the rides like the ejection seat when I was 30 and under. That is sad about the animals stuck there. I wouldn't blame you worrying about the damn tics. Thanks for another good video. Take it easy!

[@AcesAdventures1]

Ty :)

[@markvolpe2305]

I don't think the rides are being sold off (just yet), most of them look like they are just in off-season mode and some of them look like they were getting ready to put them back together for the season when the park decided to keep the rides closed this year and just abandoned them.

[@MrSRArter]

31:07 Cedar Fair was actually one of the last companies that I'd imagine being the buyer since they haven't worked with non-petting zoo animals since the 1990s (the purchase was made before they officially merged with Six Flags) and Marineland is only hour and a half away from their own Canada's Wonderland. Though now that I see you mention it, they could've either bought it to prevent Canada's Wonderland from getting major competition and/or want to run Marineland (which I assume will be renamed Six Flags Niagara Falls thanks to the merger) as an alternative amusement option for tourists that want to pair their trip to Niagara Falls with an amusement park without having to take too much time out of their trip by driving and hour and a half to mega-park Canada's Wonderland.

[@philippickles693]

I have heard from an insider that the park is still in the Holer family despite the sale..

[@patchrocket1326]

I live near here. 11:58 - You have the entrance and exit to dragon mountain backwards you’d enter thru the head and it weaves you thru an absolute pitch dark walk way where you hear riders screaming, then you load up and exit thru the smaller opening with no marking head :) always wondered why the park didn’t add 20 rides between the 5 miles that breaks each ride up . Rides maintenance is far cheaper than animals and rides don’t have feels!

[@sheismymom]

I wonder what the new owners have planned for the park

[@TheSeptemberRose]

I remember going there a couple times when I was a kid, in the 1970s, before there were any rides. I didn't return until the late 1980s, and there really wasn't much to see because the place was already getting bad Press. I remember seeing the baby Orca though! It's disgusting to me that so many animals are just stuck there....waiting for someone else to buy them, because they can't be set free. Even the elk, deer and bears have to remain captive because they won't be able to adapt to the wild after being domesticated for so long. Good riddance to that arrogant owner. Wasting money on foolish, fancy rides when he could have actually spent the money on better care for the animals and perhaps breeding programs for endangered animals...like zoos do. Good riddance.

[@suzannewillis817]

Poor animals gotta feel sorry for them.that park is beyond enormous so dang big it could be easy to get lost anywhere out there.

[@zachguest8565]

im never going to this dump again canadas wonderland is the place to go

[@suzannewillis817]

@@zachguest8565 yeah,me neither never been there or heard of it.but my gosh I feel dang sorry for the animals they didn't deserve this whatsoever just very sad.

[@DanT271]

I don't like places like this I strongly believe that these beautiful animals need to be free to roam not in oversized pools

[@AcesAdventures1]

Agreed

[@Gorillaspawn414]

I just drove past marine land last winter.. crazy to see it abandoned

[@teamsaunz]

So glad that Canada passed laws about capturing animals for recreation. However, what about hunters? Seriously, how do they enforce these laws? I know some hunters hunt for food but some hunt and just leave. I went to MarineLand once in 1989 and amazed. I look back and saddened that I supported this place…even if only once. However, I was only 9 or 10 then.

[@AcesAdventures1]

Not sure about Canadian laws

[@Ketowski]

Which hunters just hunt and leave?

[@codybrooks2696]

Hunters don't hunt just hunt to leave their harvest. It's a major offense, and it's enforced. Not to mention that we pay a lot of money for a mandatory hunters education class and buy licenses and tags annually.

[@BrettHornby]

Remember even seeing commercials on this place growing up in Calgary during the 1980s and 1990s with the everyone loves Marineland jingle.

[@ValCaPoNe]

I went to see the most ethical version a whale watching in the wild (if that's even a thing) and sheer magnificence of these animal hit me even harder... to keep marine mammal in pools is an atrocity. iI fkn hate it.

[@Ketowski]

Once they’re captive, they can’t survive in the wild on their own. Many are sold to countries that have fewer regulations.

[@kevinsmith9502]

Those places should have been shut down years ago.No Orca or Dolphin or seal should be in a tank

[@Ketowski]

They can’t just put mature adult captive animals in the wild. They’re dependent on humans for food. They either won’t know how to survive or they’ll make themselves a nuisance by attempting ti get food from people.

[@Supesfan88]

We went in 1997 when I was 9. The vastness of the big empty walkways - full of nothing but over grown trees and uneven pavement, and the sores on the deers in the petting zoo (my mum and aunt refused to let us touch the animals in the petting zoo and quickly turned back around toward the main park..for obvious reasons) stand out to me to this day.

[@TartarianCritters]

I'm crying in knowing that the likelihood is these animals (who are just slaves to those who imprison them) will just be sent to another prison to suffer in silence

[@Ketowski]

They don’t have much choice because they can’t survive on their ornaments in the wild. The only other humane option would be a sanctuary, but Marine park animals are expensive to maintain.

[@allendionnelastcall3749]

I worked on the crew that put all that interlock brick down around the whale tank and through the tunnel. I cut ever little brick for the edges. Anyways.. I spent 6bweeks in there and the condition I saw of the animals was appalling.

[@amess3631]

Thanks for the video. Super insightful and creepy at the same time. This is a park I protested about but as a young child went to see more than once. Looking at videos about the park haunt me... Dragon Mountain was actually a great coaster. Just an FYI "Marineland" is one word.

[@AcesAdventures1]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@meluvfriends]

Growing up in Welland,I went once as a kid as it was a field trip. It makes me sick now. I still have so much guilt I ever set foot there.

[@Temer-fd1cg]

This breaks my heart so much 😭 how can anyone keep any animals or whales 🐋 🐋 this truly breaks my heart and so very angry please protect our wild life ❤

[@user-tv6tu7yb7b]

The castle used to be an area that you could walk right up in to a bunch of deer and feed and pet them. It was really cool as a kid to be able to do this and have this memory

[@unicornprincess7807]

Omg the poor animals are so used to being fed non stop they're just bobbing up waiting for food, somewhat bitter sweet, the animals should never have been kept in these conditions but I have so many memories on the rides, and thought the park (never really liked the animal areas)

[@BerinKinsman]

Cedar Fair ceased to exist on July 1 2024 when the merger with Six Flag was complete. How that will affect plans for this property, if they are the buyer, will be interesting.

[@stphinkle]

I don't think everything is converted yet. The old Cedar Fair Entertainment Company corporation itself still exists. I looked this one up. My guess is that they are licensing the Six Flags Name to the former Cedar Fair Parks and operating the Cedar Fair Entertainment Company Corporation, as a wholly owned internal subsidiary of Six Flags as a temporary holding company through the different phases of the Merger, allowing the existing former Cedar Fair parks to operate uninterrupted without having to change over property ownership and licensing right away. While two companies combine, there is often a lot of internal things that need to be converted over and that doesn't happen overnight and in some cases can take months or years to complete. These include things lime employee payroll merges, computer systems conversion, licenses, permits, asset ownership, standardization of contracts, internal branding, signage, and a whole host of other things. While after a merger they put a new name on things at the time the merger completes the first phase and make it seamless for the consumer end, internally on the management side things are more complex for integration of two companies.

[@briano9397]

Filming kids in a splash park without their consent.. class act

[@AcesAdventures1]

I was filming the park idiot

[@briano9397]

@@AcesAdventures1 could literally never use that excuse if someone called you out and pursued legally. Idiot.

[@briano9397]

@@AcesAdventures1 could NEVER get away with that excuse. Need permission. Idiot

[@jeffkerr807]

Ya what a stupid thing to say.

[@briano9397]

@@jeffkerr807 go to a splash park and film kids Use his excuse and see what happens 😂😂😂😂

[@PattyTriple7]

The old owners brother groped a young employee before (reaching down her pants). They would also put sick young deer that were dying into a shed/barn like building to let them die off... so weird.

[@robertmiller2104]

I like it something different

[@JPGroleau]

The rides are not getting removed yet. They are just still winterized from the 2023-2024 winter. Some rides have their gondolas taken off for winter, some other rides it’s some decorative elements, some rides are covered, some are boarded. They’re pretty decent and fun rides actually, I certainly hope they’re not all getting scrapped

[@lornetyndale7974]

I believe for Dragon Mountain they would store the trains inside the maintenance area / coaster station for the winter and board up the entrances/exits for both the tracks and where people would load/unload. This would be part of their standard Winter shut down to help protect the coaster from the weather and such. It looks like it was never opened up for the season and would explain the boarded up station.

[@DavidNgo86]

Now Six Flags as Cedar Fair merged with Six Flags.

[@Cody-th4fc]

Great video thx

[@RyanMurray-dr4rw]

When I was 12, in 1989, this was one of my dream destinations. Just keep that memory in the happy place section, and hope the reality of this place has a better future.

[@steffyherself]

What a great video! This is so damn sad! Growing up, that damn jingle of theirs was everywhere on TV and it was difficult to avoid 😅 I always thought the concept was weird and never had any interest to go there. I can't believe that place is still open after all with so much little to do.

[@SuperBuickregal]

This video reminds me of your great narrations of the Love Canal NY and Centralia Pa disasters videos.

[@mrmonty86]

This video is better than Bright Sun Film's version of this park, but we better enjoy this video while we can because the folks at Marine Land will be triggered and will want this video deleted. Keep up the good work, Ace.

[@AcesAdventures1]

They can’t do anything about it. The truth hurts

[@steffyherself]

I also loved BTS's take on that. Always interesting to see different perspectives.

[@rachenna7763]

They're both really well done but I will say Ace uncovered more information, when I watched BTS's video I was surprised he left so much info out like the trailer park stuff.

[@Retrogamershaun]

​@@rachenna7763 he talked about the trailer park in his first video on the park

[@rachenna7763]

@@Retrogamershaun I believe you, I probably watched that 1 and forgot all about it!

[@sarikagoode1505]

Animal prisons are so gross 🤮

[@AcesAdventures1]

They sure are, hopefully this is the end of

[@suzannewillis817]

And that whale that had spend really most of its life in that place never really knowing what it was to be like free like any other animals just sad .being in that place for like 40 years,I mean 40 years just awful.

[@liamwatson5125]

Good riddance to bad rubbish!

[@suprex11-cr2wr]

19:03: RIP Magic Experience, if it is in fact being dismantled, it must be relocated to Canada's Wonderland. Also, 26:38: NEVER is it gonna be demolished, because the park opens its rides back up next year, everybody is gonna remember it! Just give it an update and it'll be good as new!

[@brianjanes4700]

Thats crazy that the penguin place is now a splash park its wild cuz i remember at one time it where you could see penguins

[@teddine7366]

I went to that place when I was a kid. It seemed like an awesome place to me when I was young. I don't get why they don't just make it into just an amusement park with out the the animals.

[@user-tv6tu7yb7b]

Wouldn't be the same. Never will.

[@chrismore5956]

Looks like the park seen better days. 😮just crazy all that land and everything not fixed, running or organization crappie. It has many violations and not safety to consider. The park is better off to be sold to another Canadian amusement park which make a lot more sense as for this park to be open with so little to nothing. Think there needs to be a new future. Hopefully the land animals will be moved to the Toronto Zoo and Loro Parque as for the belugas and dolphins and some of the parks in Japan that can house them better. This should become a new Canada Wonderland maybe, but just something better than what it is now.

[@thebearsdengaming5113]

Love marineland always have hate to see it in this shape miss the old days

[@ravenwda007]

How many of these mammals would survive transportation back into the wild? They tried to send Kieko back into the wild, but the animal remained dependent on humans to feed him.

[@AcesAdventures1]

Yeah unfortunately they wouldn’t last

[@phyk3n]

I went there a lot for school trips in the 90s. It’s kind of sad and surreal seeing it like this. I Remeber it as a busy, active, place to be. Of course I was like between 7-13 so the world looked a lot different. Even when I went in 2019, got free passes. You could see the decay.

[@skyewalker38]

I admit was there once when it was adveristed back when i was about 12 . But Im gald these animals will be hopefully gettting a better home soon and that the animals are rehabed in a better enviroment . With the new company I hope they will do right by the animals and the people .