🔗 Share this article

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute little “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a tussle between a defunct facility, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned discussion over their destiny often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been carefully observed by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government disallowed the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are housed stated it would consider to end their lives unless the authorities funds the expense of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that request, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and communal behavior point to they are remarkably smart mammals – something one caretaker observed first-hand.

Burgess spent several years as a beluga trainer, a job that entailed building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the details and quirks in their characters. She cultivated a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting personalities.

“One whale chose me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “They altered the way I perceive bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales evolved against a context of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her time at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility attributes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say reflects the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The facility did not admit visitors to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she observed directly consequences of the shutdown. “Structural materials is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and navigate with pieces in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not respond to a request for comment, but earlier asserted: “The whales … obtain far superior medical attention and constant care than any individual in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the park in early March following the demise of a beluga, an ailing beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the park suspected information of the death were leaked to the media and she was released soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left her and current and former trainers in distress. She says the park’s threat to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any efforts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “considerable staff”, trucks and heavy equipment.

“It’s impossible in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess backs requests for the whales to be transferred immediately from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In recent months, the nation’s government official turned down a proposal to export the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the application would have meant a continued life in confinement and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister stated. “As the public, we know that marine mammals are meant for the wild, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience permit an transfer that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments reflect a wider incorrect perception of the realities of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers struggle to find a resolution, ideas have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of food for Inuit communities.

A planned protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which now received regulatory clearance, has shown to be highly debated. The future facility, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain positive that it could eventually represent a sustainable solution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the idea of a refuge indicates a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible plan in the near future.

Charles Vinick, head of the plan, said the facility will mimic the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales get from specialists, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|