Open full screen According to Marineland, the two belugas suffered from abnormal stomach twisting. The Canadian Press Two other belugas died at the Marineland theme park, in Ontario, bringing the number of whale deaths since 2019 to 17. Animal welfare services within the Ministry of the Solicitor General of Ontario, have been investigating this tourist attraction park located near Niagara Falls since 2020. The department was informed of the deaths of two beluga whales at Marineland in March, said Brent Ross, a department spokesman. The Ontario government has not said how the whales died. 
Marineland is located in Niagara Falls, Ontario.
In a release, Marineland said independent necropsies confirm that the two belugas died of torsion after valiant medical efforts to help them.
Marineland refers to an abnormal twisting of the stomach, gastric volvulus.
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All whales are under weekly monitoring by the government regulator and cared for daily by in-house veterinarians and numerous external consultants, the Marineland statement said.
The reality is that all animals eventually die from one cause or another, whether in the wild or in captivity.
A quote from Marineland Statement
Sixteen beluga whales and one killer whale have died at Marineland since 2019, The Canadian Press has learned through freedom of information requests and other sources.
A bottlenose dolphin, a harbor seal, a gray seal and two California sea lions also died during that period, the government said.
Three other Marineland belugas died at the Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut. The most recent death occurred last December. Marineland had sold five belugas to the American park and the cetaceans were transferred there in May 2021.
Mystic said the two previous beluga deaths were due to health problems they already suffered from while at Marineland.
Three beluga whales from Marineland upon arrival in Connecticut, 2021
The American government opened an investigation after the first two beluga deaths and it is continuing. The Canadian government has already said it will not investigate the move.
The week the whales were translocated, Ontario Animal Welfare Services concluded that all marine mammals at Marineland were in distress due to poor water quality.
In court documents, Marineland denied that water played a role in the whales' deaths.
The theme park says on its website that it has a strong record on animal welfare and will continue to prioritize their health and well-being.
There were 37 beluga whales at Marineland in the park last summer when The Canadian Press visited.
Twelve beluga deaths occurred over a two-year period. Documents obtained through access to information laws reveal that a beluga whale named Ikora died on October 24, 2019, followed by 10 others.
A beluga whale named Bull died on November 23, 2021.
L& #x27;The provincial investigation into Marineland, which has been going on for four years, remains shrouded in mystery: officials refuse to release the details of their investigation, what precisely they are doing in the park and how the animals died.
Phil Demers (Archive photo)
Phil Demers, a former Marineland coach turned park critic, calls for accountability and transparency.
Marineland continues to hide the seriousness of the situation its animals are experiencing, but dead whales are difficult to hide.
A quote from Phil Demers, former coach and co-founder of the Urgent Seas organization
Where is the government? he asks.
Marineland was recently convicted under provincial animal cruelty laws for its treatment of three young black bears . The park kept these bears in cramped quarters, with little access to water and no climbing structures.
The imposition of the sentence is set for August.