🔗 Share this article

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable little “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a disagreement between a defunct facility, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned controversy over their destiny often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the Canadian government prevented the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are kept warned to euthanize them unless the government pays for the upkeep of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that demand, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and group interactions point to they are highly cognitive creatures – something Kristy Burgess observed first-hand.

Burgess spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a role that involved building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so astounded by the details and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She formed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing personalities.

“One whale accepted me. The other required effort,” she said. “Both changed the way I perceive bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales evolved against a background of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her three years at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the facility ascribes to natural mortality, but which activists say reflects the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The facility did not operate to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is falling apart from the pools because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not respond to a inquiry, but previously stated: “The whales … obtain far better health care and 24/7 supervision than any individual in the UK, or anywhere else.”

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 employees had to put down. She said the facility thought information of the death were shared to the press and she was let go not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in despair. She says the park’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any plans to put down even a single beluga would require “considerable manpower”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

She supports demands for the whales to be transferred immediately from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a bid to export the whales to China.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a continued situation in captivity and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official wrote. “As Canadians, we know that belugas should be in the sea, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing approve an relocation that would prolong the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments reveal a wider lack of awareness of the circumstances of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities attempt to find a answer, proposals have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a key source of sustenance for local populations.

A proposed sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received regulatory clearance, has been highly debated. The prospective location, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a permanent resolution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the prospect of a sanctuary represents a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a workable approach in the near future.

Charles Vinick, head of the sanctuary project, said the facility will mimic the cognitive activities and diet the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|