🔗 Share this article

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the heated debate over their destiny often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the federal government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial attraction 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. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that demand, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, problem solving and communal behavior point to they are highly cognitive creatures – something one caretaker observed directly.

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

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. 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 nevertheless surprised by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She developed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with different temperaments.

“Eve chose me. The other required effort,” she said. “Both altered the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales evolved against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her time at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, died. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a toll which the park attributes to natural mortality, but which advocates say reflects the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The park did not admit visitors to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes results of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and move about with chunks in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not comment to a questionnaire, but earlier asserted: “The whales … get far higher quality medical attention and around the clock care than any person in the UK, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in recent months following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park believed particulars of the death were disclosed to the news outlets and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in despair. She says the park’s threat to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any plans to euthanize even a single beluga would require “immense personnel”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

She backs calls for the whales to be removed immediately from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a bid to transfer the whales to China.

“To approve the application would have meant a perpetual situation in captivity and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister wrote. “As Canadians, we know that whales belong in the wild, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing approve an export that would continue the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments reveal a wider incorrect perception of the realities of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials attempt to find a solution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a important part of food for Inuit communities.

A proposed protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which has received government approval, has shown to be contentious. The prospective facility, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a long term solution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the possibility of a refuge reflects a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible solution in the near future.

The project lead, head of the plan, said the location will simulate the mental engagement and diet the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|