🔗 Share this article

Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a tussle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the intense controversy over their destiny often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the people who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities prevented the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are housed stated it would consider to put them down unless the government covers the expense of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, problem solving and social skills suggest they are deeply intelligent creatures – something a former trainer learned directly.

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

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the details and quirks in their characters. She developed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing temperaments.

“One whale selected me. The other required effort,” she said. “Each changed the way I perceive connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales developed against a background of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her time at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, died. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park attributes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say reflects the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The park did not open to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly effects of the closure. “Structural materials is falling apart from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and navigate with chunks in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but in the past stated: “The whales … get far better veterinary services and constant care than any human in the UK, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in early March following the death of Eos, an sick beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the park suspected particulars of the incident were disclosed to the media and she was let go not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and other caretakers in anguish. She says the facility’s threat to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any plans to put down even a single beluga would require “considerable personnel”, trucks and machinery.

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

She supports calls for the whales to be taken promptly from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a proposal to export the whales to China.

“Granting the application would have meant a continued life in enclosure and a return to public entertainment,” the minister wrote. “As society, we know that belugas are meant for the wild, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience approve an export that would prolong the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reflect a broader incorrect perception of the facts of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials work to find a solution, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A suggested refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received regulatory clearance, has proven highly debated. The future site, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a sustainable answer for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the prospect of a refuge represents a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a viable approach in the near future.

The project lead, leader of the initiative, said the location will simulate the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|