Marineland to Close March 1

Marineland, the Rancho Palos Verdes park that until last week was home to killer whales Corky and Orky, is being closed March 1 by its new owners, it was announced today.

Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, which bought the 33-year-old park on Dec. 31, said it is closing the attraction because the aquatic park is losing money and extensive improvements would be needed if the park is to break even financially. Fears that Marineland might be closed surfaced when Corky and Orky, the park’s premier attraction, were trucked during the night of Jan. 20 to San Diego’s Sea World, which is also owned by book publisher Harcourt Brace.