Whale Captivity In Canada Comes To An End After ‘World’s Loneliest’ Orca Dies

Canada's last captive orca, Kiska, has passed away in her tank at Marineland in Niagara Falls. She had been in captivity for 44 years after being captured in Icelandic waters in 1979. Her death has sparked calls from animal activists for an investigation into her captivity, with concerns raised about her loneliness and living conditions.

Animal Justice, a Canadian animal welfare non-profit, has been pushing for legal action against Marineland for the cruelty and illegal conditions that Kiska endured during her captivity. Prior to her death, efforts were being made to potentially release her to an ocean sanctuary. Kiska's passing signifies the end of whale captivity in Canada, following a landmark legal bill passed in 2019 banning the captivity of whales and dolphins, as well as importing and breeding of these animals.