🔗 Share this article

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a disagreement between a shuttered park, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the intense discussion over their future often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the people who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities disallowed the sale of the belugas to China, the controversial attraction near the famous falls where they are kept warned to end their lives unless the federal government covers the cost of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that demand, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and communal behavior suggest they are highly cognitive creatures – something Kristy Burgess observed personally.

Burgess spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that involved gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the nuances and quirks in their characters. She cultivated a special affection for two female belugas with opposing temperaments.

“Eve chose me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “They changed the way I understand relationships.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s connection with the whales evolved against a context of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her three years at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the facility attributes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say points to the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The facility did not operate to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly effects of the closure. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and navigate with pieces in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not reply to a request for comment, but earlier stated: “The whales … receive far superior health care and 24/7 supervision than any human in the UK, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in the spring following the death of a beluga, an sick beluga the employees had to put down. She said the facility thought details of the death were leaked to the press and she was let go not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and staff members in distress. She says the facility’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “immense manpower”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

Burgess backs requests for the whales to be transferred right away from the park, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a request to send the whales to China.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a perpetual situation in captivity and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister stated. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals are meant for the ocean, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing permit an relocation that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments reflect a broader lack of awareness of the facts of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities work to find a answer, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A planned refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received regulatory clearance, has proven highly debated. The future site, which includes a large area of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a permanent answer for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the idea of a refuge indicates a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a feasible plan in the coming months.

The project lead, head of the sanctuary project, said the location will mimic the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|