The Closing of Marineland

Nina Easton’s article is quick to place blame with Harcourt Brace Jovanovich for the demise of the park. In reality, Marineland’s fate was sealed when it was purchased by Warwick International. Any visitor there during the last few years could easily see the deteriorating condition of the property. No matter how much love and care Orky and Corky were being given by Marineland trainers, neglect of the facilities would have eventually affected them.

Once Rancho Palos Verdes starts receiving revenues from the proposed resort hotel and conference center to be built on that site, it will probably forget all about Marineland. In the meantime, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich would be given the opportunity to make good on its offer to build the animal-care center in conjunction with the Los Angeles Unified School District. It’s difficult to fathom how HBJ could operate several marine parks so successfully if they are the corporate monsters your article portrays them to be.

Susan LeTourneau

Long Beach