Malik (pronounced mahl-ICK), also known as "E-Day," was a 3-year-old female Icelandic killer whale who lived at Marineland of Canada. She was born there at 3:35 AM on April 21st, 1996. Her mother was Nootka V and her father was Kandu VII. Malik passed away due to complications of her various immune deficiencies on March 4th, 2000 Marineland of Canada.
Birth & Early Life[]
On April 21st, 1996, Nootka V gave birth to her third calf, Malik, at Marineland’s King Waldorf Theatre. The calf began nursing frequently and was doing well with her mom. However, it was discovered that Malik was born with a weakened immune system, making her highly susceptible to infections and other illnesses. Due to her health issues, Nootka became aggressive toward her calf and attempted to drown her multiple times. When this occurred, they were separated, and Malik was then paired with her father, Kandu VII.
By the time Malik was a year old, Marineland’s pools were becoming overcrowded. As a result, Malik and three other young orcas were moved to the warehouse. The "warehouse" was a small, dimly lit indoor pool located behind the stadium used to store excess animals. It was cramped and dark, with no access to fresh air or sunlight. Because of the design of the building, music from the stadium was amplified, causing the warehouse nearly deafening. Over time, the tank became heavily worn and covered in rust. Former staff reported that the chemicals used to treat the water were sometimes so strong that the animals would throw themselves out of the water to escape them. Due to Marineland's policy against enrichment, animals in the warehouse had virtually no stimulation other than each other and the trainers. Sometime in 1998, one of the calves, Kanuck, died from traumatic shock. For the rest of Malik’s time in the warehouse, she was kept with Nova and Neocia.
Life at Marineland of Canada[]
In summer 1998, Marineland completed construction of its new killer whale habitat, “Friendship Cove.” Malik was moved there alongside some of the other whales from the stadium and warehouse. Although there were no shows at Friendship Cove, visitors could interact closely with the whales. Malik was regularly involved in these encounters, initially with multiple people at once, but later switched to one-on-one interactions.
Malik was mostly paired with Kandu and Nova. However, she appeared noticeably thin and underweight, likely due to a combination of health issues and insufficient feeding. Marineland did not have a scale to weigh its whales and relied solely on measurements to track growth.
Death[]
On March 4th, 2000, Malik passed away from complications of her various immune system deficiencies. According to Marineland’s veterinarian, Malik had been kept alive solely by the large amount of medication she had been given since her birth in 1996.
Trivia[]
- Malik was born on Canadian Election Day, giving her the nickname "E-Day"
Transfer History[]
Malik was never transferred out of Marineland Canada.