“LA’s Own Marineland” is a 12-part, 10-hour podcast documenting the history of the west coast’s first oceanarium which operated at the tip of Rancho Palos Verdes, just outside of Los Angeles, California, from 1954 to 1987.
The show is hosted, written, and produced by Tod Perry who conducted over 20 hours of exclusive interviews with former employees and those closest to the park. The intimate discussions reveal the wonder of working with such magical animals in an awe-inspiring location and the heartbreak that came with the park’s abrupt closure.
The podcast also features extensive research culled from scholarly journals, newspaper stories, and archival information to bring together the park’s illustrious history.
Marineland was home to many historic events including the first-ever performing pilot whales and the first killer whales born in captivity. It was also a center for research on marine life and home to one of the west coast’s most prominent marine life rescues.
But millions remember it fondly as a place of discovery, fun, and wonder.
It was home to the world’s most popular pair of killer whales, Orky and Corky as well as Bubbles the pilot whale, and countless frolicking dolphins.
It was controversially closed in February 1987 after it was acquired by Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich which owned SeaWorld at the time.
WARNING: If you listen to this podcast while seated in the first five rows you will get wet. You may get soaked.