🔗 Share this article

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable little “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a disagreement between a closed attraction, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated discussion over their future often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government disallowed the export of the belugas to China, the embattled amusement park near the famous falls where they are kept stated it would consider to end their lives unless the government covers the cost of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that demand, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and communal behavior suggest they are highly cognitive mammals – something one caretaker observed directly.

She spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that entailed earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She formed a deep bond for a pair of whales with contrasting personalities.

“One whale chose me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “They altered the way I perceive connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s relationship with the whales progressed against a background of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her tenure at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, died. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park attributes to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say reflects the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The facility did not operate to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the shutdown. “Concrete is breaking off from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and swim around with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but in the past stated: “The whales … receive far higher quality health care and 24/7 care than any individual in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in early March following the demise of a beluga, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the facility believed details of the death were shared to the media and she was released not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and other caretakers in despair. She says the facility’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any attempts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “considerable manpower”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

“There’s no way in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess supports calls for the whales to be taken immediately from the facility, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a bid to send the whales to China.

“Granting the request would have meant a ongoing situation in confinement and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister stated. “As society, we know that belugas are meant for the sea, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience permit an transfer that would continue the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s remarks reflect a more general lack of awareness of the facts of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats 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 Ongoing Debate

As decision makers work to find a answer, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of food for local populations.

A planned refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received official endorsement, has proven most controversial. The planned facility, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain optimistic that it could in time represent a sustainable answer for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the possibility of a sanctuary reflects a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a viable approach in the short term.

An official, leader of the sanctuary project, said the site will replicate the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|