🔗 Share this article

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an charming little “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a tussle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the heated debate over their fate often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government blocked the export of the belugas to China, the struggling facility near Niagara Falls where they are held warned to end their lives unless the government pays for the expense of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that demand, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and social skills suggest they are remarkably smart creatures – something one caretaker observed first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a position that involved building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so surprised by the subtleties and unique traits in their characters. She formed a special affection for a pair of whales with opposing temperaments.

“One whale chose me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Both altered the way I understand bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales progressed against a context of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her tenure at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility links to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say points to the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The facility did not admit visitors to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she observed directly effects of the closure. “Structural materials is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and move about with pieces in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not reply to a inquiry, but previously asserted: “The whales … obtain far superior health care and constant attention than any human in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in the spring following the passing of a beluga, an unwell beluga the employees had to put down. She said the park believed details of the incident were shared to the news outlets and she was let go soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any plans to put down even a one beluga would require “immense staff”, equipment and specialized tools.

“It cannot happen in hell the staff would ever do it,” she said.

She advocates for requests for the whales to be removed right away from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a bid to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the request would have meant a perpetual life in confinement and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official commented. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals should be in the sea, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing permit an relocation that would prolong the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments indicate a wider lack of awareness of the facts of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As authorities struggle to find a solution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of nourishment for local populations.

A proposed refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which now received regulatory clearance, has shown to be most controversial. The planned facility, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain positive that it could eventually represent a permanent resolution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the prospect of a protected habitat represents a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a workable plan in the near future.

An official, director of the initiative, said the location will mimic the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales get from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|