🔗 Share this article

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming small “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a struggle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense discussion 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 national authorities blocked the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial attraction near Niagara Falls where they are housed threatened to end their lives unless the federal government funds the expense of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and social skills indicate they are remarkably smart animals – something one caretaker discovered first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a position that entailed building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She developed a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting temperaments.

“One whale selected me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “They transformed the way I view bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her time at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, died. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the facility links to age-related causes, but which activists say indicates the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The park did not operate to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes results of the shutdown. “Structural materials is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and move about with pieces in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not respond to a questionnaire, but in the past claimed: “The whales … receive far higher quality veterinary services and 24/7 supervision than any person in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the park in the spring following the death of a beluga, an sick beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the facility thought information of the incident were shared to the news outlets and she was fired soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left her and staff members in despair. She says the facility’s warning to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any efforts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “significant manpower”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

“It’s impossible in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

She advocates for demands for the whales to be transferred promptly from the park, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In late September, Canada’s government official rejected a bid to export the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the application would have meant a continued life in enclosure and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister stated. “As Canadians, we know that belugas belong in the sea, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience approve an export that would continue the situation these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements reflect a wider incorrect perception of the circumstances of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities work to find a resolution, proposals have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of nourishment for local populations.

A suggested refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which has received regulatory clearance, has shown to be most controversial. The prospective site, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain positive that it could in time represent a sustainable solution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the prospect of a refuge indicates a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a feasible solution in the near future.

The project lead, leader of the initiative, said the facility will mimic the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales get from trainers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|