🔗 Share this article

Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a disagreement between a defunct facility, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the heated debate over their future often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities blocked the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling facility near Niagara Falls where they are housed warned to put them down unless the government pays for the upkeep of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and group interactions point to they are highly cognitive creatures – something Kristy Burgess discovered directly.

She spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a role that involved building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the nuances and quirks in their personalities. She cultivated a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing temperaments.

“One whale chose me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Both changed the way I perceive relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales progressed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her three years at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, died. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the park links to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say reflects the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The park did not operate to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and swim around with fragments in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but previously asserted: “The whales … obtain far superior health care and around the clock attention than any human in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in early March following the passing of Eos, an sick beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the facility thought details of the death were shared to the press and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in despair. She says the facility’s warning to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “significant staff”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

She advocates for requests for the whales to be transferred right away from the facility, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In recent months, the nation’s government official rejected a proposal to export the whales to China.

“To approve the application would have meant a ongoing situation in confinement and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official stated. “As society, we know that marine mammals belong in the ocean, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing permit an export that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks indicate a broader incorrect perception of the realities of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities work to find a resolution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of food for local populations.

A suggested sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received regulatory clearance, has been contentious. The planned location, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a permanent solution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the possibility of a refuge indicates a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a workable solution in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, director of the plan, said the location will simulate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales get from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|