🔗 Share this article

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable small “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a struggle between a shuttered park, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their destiny often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been carefully observed by the people who work with them regularly.

After the federal government blocked the export of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near the famous falls where they are kept stated it would consider to end their lives unless the authorities pays for the upkeep 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

Researchers say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and communal behavior point to they are remarkably smart mammals – something one caretaker learned first-hand.

She spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that entailed building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the subtleties and unique traits in their characters. She cultivated a deep bond for a pair of whales with contrasting personalities.

“One whale selected me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Both changed the way I understand relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s relationship with the whales developed against a background of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her tenure at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the park links to natural mortality, but which activists say points to the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The park did not operate to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand results of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and swim around with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but earlier stated: “The whales … get far higher quality health care and 24/7 supervision than any individual in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in early March following the death of a beluga, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the facility suspected information of the incident were leaked to the media and she was released shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and staff members in despair. She says the facility’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any attempts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “considerable manpower”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

She backs calls for the whales to be transferred immediately from the park, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In late September, Canada’s government official rejected a proposal to transfer the whales to China.

“Allowing the application would have meant a perpetual life in captivity and a return to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals should be in the sea, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing approve an transfer that would prolong the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments reflect a more general incorrect perception of the facts of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities struggle to find a resolution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received official endorsement, has been most controversial. The planned facility, which includes extensive space of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a long term solution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the idea of a sanctuary indicates a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a viable plan in the short term.

Charles Vinick, leader of the initiative, said the site will simulate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|