Marineland of New Zealand, Napier (Closed) last dolphin at Marineland dies

Show over at Marineland News - Yahoo!Xtra News
Thousands of people took the opportunity to say goodbye to Napier's Marineland yesterday before it shut its doors for the last time.

The iconic tourist attraction is now closed to the public after operating for more than 40 years.

The council decided to close Marineland after its last performing dolphin Kelly died in September last year and it could not get permission from the Government to introduce new dolphins.

Friends of Marineland hosted a free open day for the public yesterday. A spokesman says it was a great way to show the council that Marineland is still treasured by the people of Napier.

The Napier City Council has received submissions on the future of the centre and will report back later this year.
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Does anyboy have any updates on ML? has it re-opened? Any stats on current seals?

- are Iha and Ollie (NZ Fur Seals) Captive born or wild born
- has there been another Californian sea lion birth?
 
jones said:
Does anyboy have any updates on ML? has it re-opened? Any stats on current seals?
- are Iha and Ollie (NZ Fur Seals) Captive born or wild born
- has there been another Californian sea lion birth?
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no news on Marineland other than that they remain closed, possibly permanently. The animals remain on-site however. I would presume that if the facility does remain permanently closed then they would not allow any more breeding, and that the animals will remain there for the rest of their natural lives (there are few other facilities for them to go to). Presumably also, any beach-wrecked marinelife (penguins, seals, seabirds, etc) would still be going to the facility for recovery as the staff have the expertise in their care (just my opinion, mind). The Marineland website Marineland of New Zealand, Napier says the following on every page:

Marineland was closed to the public on 11 September 2008 following the passing of Kelly, Marineland’s last remaining dolphin.

Following the consultation process, on 17 December 2008 Council passed a resolution – summarised as follows:

Limited re-opening
# 20 December 2008 to end of April 2009 school holidays (or earlier)
# No formal shows
# Low key opportunity to view animals
# Reduced entry fee to be charged
# Information signage to be placed on site

Investigate a new attraction
# Capitalise on Marineland brand
# Based on marine animals
# Coastal discovery
# Environmental education

New attraction to include
# Underwater viewing area
# Multi use performance platform
# Café
# Maori history
# Stories of the region

New attraction should
# Maximise views of the ocean
# Include natural layout and landscaping

Following ideas can jointly be investigated:
# Adventure park
# Water park
# Transport connecting Marine Parade attractions, Port and Ahuriri
# Improved transport hub/welcome centre

Investigate public / private partnerships

Plan drawn up and prices for new attraction to be established

Future development be referred to public consultation

Submissions of Emily Otto, Robin Steward and 3D Creative be given further consideration

Contact Marineland:

Phone +64 6 834 4027
Fax +64 6 834 4027

Marine Parade, Napier

Email: info@marineland.co.nz

Marineland Manager:

Mr Gary Macdonald
c/o Marineland of New Zealand
Napier
gary@marineland.co.nz

Education Officer:

Jacque Wilton
c/o Marineland of New Zealand
Napier
education@marineland.co.nz
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another bit of news regarding Marineland from last month. Its a bit "scandal-mag" and is really a bit of a beat-up. Basically three fur seal pups were brought to Marineland after being found abandoned or similar ("at-risk" as one report put it). They should have been released into the wild once recovered but some dodgy paperwork ensured they stayed at the facility. The media was all over this, screaming the pups had been "stolen" from the wild which wasn't really true at all. But there you go.

from 11 November 2009
Napier's Marineland is being investigated for allegedly taking fur seals from the wild, according to reports.
Fur seals at Marineland may have been sourced from the wild, despite the centre having only a Department of Conservation permit to keep captive-bred protected animals, One News reported tonight.
Marineland could face a fine of up to $20,000 per animal.
Napier City Council, as owner of Marineland, was investigating and would not comment.
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from 16 November 2009
Marineland 'made error' in keeping seal pups | Stuff.co.nz
Marineland is likely to escape prosecution despite admitting that it broke the law in keeping three seal pups.
DOC Hawke's Bay regional manager Jan Hania said that the long-running Napier tourist attraction had made a serious error of judgment in keeping the young fur seals in breach of its permit conditions.
Marineland had also given incorrect information in its reports about the seals.
However, Mr Hania said, it had certainly looked after the seals well and, until this incident, had had an excellent relationship with his department. It was unlikely that DOC would prosecute.
"This should not negate the good work achieved by Marineland in advocacy for the protection of marine mammals, especially their expertise in the welfare of seals," he said.
He understood that the pups had been taken into Marineland in poor condition, because of ill health or dog attacks.
Marineland acts as a hospital for sick or injured marine creatures, and keeps some with permanent disabilities that would not allow them to survive in the wild.
If it can restore animals to health quickly, it would be expected to return them to the wild.
Mr Hania said he did not know how unwell the seals had been, or how quickly they had recovered. "Marineland should have sought consultation with us at that stage."
Instead, the zoo simply kept the seals and falsified its reports about them. One pup was acquired in the late 1990s and the other two more recently.
Friends of Marineland chairman Clifford Church supported DOC's reluctance to prosecute over the affair, which is also being investigated by Napier City Council, which owns the zoo.
Marineland manager Gary Macdonald and his staff had saved the three seals from death and should be commended for that, Mr Church said. The seals had given visitors a great deal of pleasure.
"I think he [Mr Macdonald] should be given a medal, not a slap around the head, as it were."
Mr Church hoped the publicity would not affect the council's decision on the proposed $8 million revamp of the zoo.
Marineland has been closed since April, because of falling visitor numbers since the deaths of its last dolphins, and without the revamp it is likely to be shut permanently.
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and follow-up from 20 November 2009
Marineland's manager for the past 32 years has resigned after admitting he filed false reports about three seals in the Napier marine zoo.
"It's the right thing to do," Gary Macdonald, 60, said yesterday as he looked back over the job that has occupied more than half his life.
He wanted to ensure that Marineland – one of Hawke's Bay's main tourist attractions since 1965 – and Napier City Council were not blamed for the actions of one person who had made a "serious error in judgment".
The young fur seals were brought into Marineland – one each in 1996, 2006 and 2007 – after being found in at-risk situations in the wild, but Mr Macdonald told the Conservation Department they had been bred in captivity. "They are still here and they are well although the oldest is now blind, just because of ageing," he said.
His misreporting broke the terms of Marineland's permit from DOC. Mr Macdonald refused to say why he had sent the incorrect reports.
DOC has said it is unlikely to prosecute over the affair.
The fur seals were his favourite species of the animals at the zoo, Mr Macdonald said, although his favourite individuals had been three dolphins, Shona, Katy and Kelly. He was also very fond of the little blue penguins.
"I've really enjoyed my time here," he said. "I met my wife, Sue, here; she worked here. It's about the animals and as you develop with the people you work with, you become a family, with strong shared interests."
One regret was that he had to give up training the animals after he became manager, because the administration took up too much time.
Marineland had become a little run-down as the council became reluctant to spend money on it, unsure if it would still be viable financially after the deaths of its last dolphins. It has been closed to the public since April but the council is considering proposals to revamp it.
"My ongoing frustration was that everything I tried to achieve was put off because we didn't know what was going to happen to Marineland," he said.
"I appreciate that they were very hard decisions but it has been particularly hard working here in that environment."
Mr Macdonald supports proposals for a major revamp put forward by Wellington company 3D Creative. Costed at $8 million, the plans include underwater viewing windows, natural landscaping, educational sections and a restaurant on top of the grandstand.
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Marineland on Campbell Live, sort of an update....

Marineland news has been a bit quiet as of late (for "a bit quiet" read "non-existent"!). It was closed up on September 2008, reopened December 2008 for the summer, and then closed permanently April 2009, which is the state it has remained in ever since although the animals are still on site. Tonight there was a small piece on current affairs programme Campbell Live about it: What happened to Marineland's stars? | Scoop News

the Marineland website http://www.marineland.co.nz/ now has this information on it:
Media Release 10 December 2010
Marineland to be transferred to National Aquarium of New Zealand

The Napier City Council has made a decision to close Marineland permanently after receiving confirmation by the Minister of Conservation that they no longer support keeping marine mammals in captivity.

The Minister's letter dated 4 November 2010 confirms the Department of Conservation's position on phasing out marine mammals being kept in captivity.

Marineland has been closed to the public since September 2008 when Kelly the last remaining dolphin died. Since then, the remaining animals have been cared for on-site by Marineland staff.

The 40 year old infrastructure of Marineland has been maintained over the years. However, due to the extremely harsh marine environment the underground infrastructure, such as piping and pools, is well beyond its useful life and needs complete replacement. This, coupled with the Government's policy, has led the council to the clear decision to close the facility and clear the site ready for something new.

Speaking on behalf of the council Napier Mayor, Barbara Arnott, says that although many alternative options have been considered by the council for the Marineland site, none have yet been convincing and feasible given the cost impact on the ratepayer.

"As a council we completely recognise the importance of this site to Napier's tourism package and therefore will continue to explore all options for development of a modern, unique attraction for the benefit of both our local community and visitors to the city," says Barbara.

A positive outcome of the decision will be the move of the little blue penguins to The National Aquarium of New Zealand, also located on Napier's Marine Parade. A new purpose-built home for the penguins will be a welcome addition for the aquarium and is planned to be in place by November 2011.

The education programmes run by Marineland's education team will also be moved to the National Aquarium of New Zealand in January 2011 and delivered to students under the existing education programme.

"The council acknowledges the devotion and high level of care that Marineland staff have provided the animals and recognise this is a difficult time for them', says Barbara.

"We will work through this situation with staff in the best way possible and also endeavour to relocate staff into new roles within Napier City Council facilities."

For further information please contact:
Mayor Barbara Arnott
Ph 06 834 4198
barbaraa@napier.govt.nz

Read the Government Documents.
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I saw that on Campbell Live tonight as well, and have some questions:

How many Californian Sea Lions are left? I saw at least one in the show. Are these related at all to the two at Auckland Zoo? Would a transfer to Auckland be possible (even though Auckland are phasing the species out)?

And how many fur seals are there? Are they all New Zealand fur seals?

Apart from penguins and the pinnipeds, are there any other animals left?
 
in post #9 of the current thread I posted an article (2008) which says Marineland still had at that stage five sealions and nine fur seals. In the Campbell Live piece there were a couple of shots that showed at least three female sealions together and then there's the big male at the end of the clip who it seems is being kept alone (which would be to prevent any further breeding, if that is the case) - so I would guess they still have all five sealions at least. There were at least four separate fur seals shown in the clip as well. All the fur seals at Marineland (however many there may be) are NZ fur seals.

I haven't got a clue if they're related to Auckland's sealions or not sorry. Auckland however would appear to be the only place in NZ that has the set up to take them if they had to leave Marineland. The only choices would be Auckland Zoo, export, or death.

I think they said in the clip that there were still about 50 animals at Marineland. The pinnipeds and penguins total about 28 give or take, and I know there are some gannets as well. Not sure what else.
 
I just found this article from four days ago which explicitly says the council is closing the facility down completely, moving out the animals and clearing the site for some other development:
Napier's Marineland to be closed and cleared - Local News - Hawke's Bay Today
Marineland will be permanently closed and the site cleared "ready for something new."

More than two years after the marine park closed to the public, Napier City Council announced this morning it will not be reopened.

The decision came after the government confirmed it would not support marine mammals being kept in captivity.

Napier Mayor Barbara Arnott said the government's stance, and the need for major upgrades at the aging facility, forced the council's hand.

The decision was made to "close the facility and clear the site ready for something new".

Mrs Arnott said many alternative options were considered for the site, but none were convincing or feasible, given the cost to the ratepayer.

Due to the "extremely harsh marine environment" the underground infrastructure at the site, such as piping and pools, was beyond its useful life and needed complete replacement.

"As a council we completely recognise the importance of this site to Napier's tourism package and, therefore, will continue to explore all options for development of a modern, unique attraction for the benefit of both our local community and visitors to the city," she said.

Marineland's little blue penguins will be moved to the National Aquarium, also on Marine Parade, where a purpose-built enclosure will be built by November.

Its not yet known what will become of other animals which continued to be housed at the facility after it closed.

Education programmes run from Marineland will also move to the Aquarium, the council said.

Staff will be offered other roles within the council where possible.

"The council acknowledges the devotion and high level of care that Marineland staff have provided the animals and recognise this is a difficult time for them," Mrs Arnott said.

"We will work through this situation with staff in the best way possible and also endeavour to relocate staff into new roles within Napier City Council facilities."

The Minister of Conservation, Kate Wilkinson, confirmed to the council last month that the government wanted to phase out captive marine animals, particularly dolphins.

Ms Wilkinson said the government was also "firmly opposed" to the international trade in dolphins.

The Department of Conservation was also opposed to keeping to breeding captive any marine mammals, particularly dophins.

Holding indigenous mammals for public display is not in the long-term interests of the species, the department said in a letter to the council this year.

Opened in 1965, Marineland closed in September 2008 after the death of its last dolphin, Kelly, saw visitor numbers plummeting.

It was reopened for one more summer season before closing again.

School groups still visited the facility, which held more than 50 animals, including seals and penguins.

City ratepayers paid more than $530,000 a year for Marineland to remain closed, covering staff costs and care for the remaining animals.

While open, the council was spending about $300,000 a year on Marineland.
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point: "The Minister of Conservation, Kate Wilkinson, confirmed to the council last month that the government wanted to phase out captive marine animals, particularly dolphins." -- its not going to be hard to phase out the keeping of dolphins in NZ: there aren't any!! But more importantly, this obviously includes Auckland Zoo's pinnipeds. Even more importantly, what the devil do they think is going to happen to the ones at Marineland if they are being "phased out" but there's nowhere for them to actually go once Marineland gets bulldozed?! And what of rescued injured pinnipeds? What is going to happen to them? (rhetorical question that last one).

In this earlier article (from January) http://www.hawkesbaytoday.co.nz/local/news/animals-wont-die-at-marineland-mayor-vows/3937656/ "Mayor Barbara Arnott says the decision has been made to relocate the animals and birds over the next 12 months to alternative facilities"
 
Thanks for that Chlidonias, can see why one would read the thread before posting in it :D

I just watched the clip again, and it specifically mentioned: Makea (m - by himself), and Dakota (f) and Rufus (m) who were kept together. According to this thread (http://www.zoochat.com/17/sea-lion-family-164445/) there were two other sea lions, both males: Trinity and Orion. I couldn't see any signs of any more than the 3 deinitely mentioned in the clip.

It also said that there were '40 aquatic creatures' of which only 14, all little blue penguins, had a definite future home: the National Aquarium down the road. Don't know where they will go though, theres no obvious space there, so they'll have to remove something.
 
I'm guessing Auckland will end up as the location for injured NZ Fur Seals, fulfilling the governments intention for there to be no marine mammals in captivity, in rehab instead...
 
With regards to the Marineland sealions, I suspect they will have to go to Australia where there are several facilities that could potentially house them. (Just my own theorising of course). And I think the Napier Council should have to foot the bill for that too!

Rehab fur seals....I don't know what DoC intends there. Sure if they can be released again that's fine but if not (i.e. if they're blind or missing flippers) the only options are captivity or being put down. Personally I don't know why its unacceptable for pinnipeds to be captive but not, say, lions or sun bears. DoC often does seem to show a very anti-captivity bent, which in this case appears to be for PC reasons.
 
zooboy28 said:
I just watched the clip again, and it specifically mentioned: Makea (m - by himself), and Dakota (f) and Rufus (m) who were kept together. According to this thread (Sea Lion Family) there were two other sea lions, both males: Trinity and Orion. I couldn't see any signs of any more than the 3 deinitely mentioned in the clip.
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I don't know who's male and female, I just assumed the smaller ones all together would be females :D
 
zooboy28 said:
It also said that there were '40 aquatic creatures' of which only 14, all little blue penguins, had a definite future home: the National Aquarium down the road. Don't know where they will go though, theres no obvious space there, so they'll have to remove something.
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I intend on visiting there next month hopefully. I'll see what I can find out.
 
That's along the lines of what I meant Chli, maybe I should have put "rehab" or permanent rehab..! :)
 
zooboy28 said:
It also said that there were '40 aquatic creatures' of which only 14, all little blue penguins, had a definite future home: the National Aquarium down the road. Don't know where they will go though, theres no obvious space there, so they'll have to remove something.
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I've just been to the aquarium and apparently the penguin exhibit is going to be built off the end of the round part of the building (where some of the car parks are now). Nothing being done on this yet though. I had a peek through the chinks in the fence surrounding the Marineland as well, and the pools in there really are very very tiny!
 
Marineland now has six New Zealand fur seals, one subantarctic fur seal and five California sea lions.
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I didn't know they had a subantarctic fur seal there as well
 
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