🔗 Share this article

Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute little “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a disagreement between a defunct facility, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned debate over their destiny often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been closely studied by the people who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near the famous falls where they are kept stated it would consider to put them down unless the authorities pays for the upkeep of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that request, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and communal behavior point to they are deeply intelligent creatures – something one caretaker observed personally.

She spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that involved earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She developed a particular love for two female belugas with contrasting natures.

“One whale accepted me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “They altered the way I understand connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales evolved against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her time at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, died. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the facility links to expected lifespan, but which activists say indicates the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not open to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly consequences of the shutdown. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and swim around with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not reply to a inquiry, but previously stated: “The whales … get far better health care and 24/7 care than any human in the UK, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in the spring following the demise of a beluga, an unwell beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility suspected information of the death were leaked to the press and she was released not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and current and former trainers in despair. She says the park’s threat to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any attempts to put down even a single beluga would require “considerable personnel”, trucks and machinery.

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

She advocates for requests for the whales to be removed immediately from the park, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In late September, Canada’s government official rejected a proposal to send the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the request would have meant a continued life in enclosure and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister stated. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals are meant for the ocean, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience approve an relocation that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks reveal a broader misunderstanding of the realities of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials work to find a resolution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a important part of sustenance for local populations.

A proposed protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received regulatory clearance, has been most controversial. The prospective facility, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain optimistic that it could in time represent a long term resolution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the idea of a refuge represents a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a feasible approach in the coming months.

The project lead, head of the plan, said the location will mimic the mental engagement and nutrition the whales get from specialists, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|