🔗 Share this article

Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming small “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a disagreement between a closed attraction, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated controversy over their destiny often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been carefully observed by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government disallowed the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are housed warned to euthanize them unless the authorities pays for the expense of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and group interactions point to they are deeply intelligent creatures – something Kristy Burgess learned directly.

She spent several years as a beluga trainer, a role that required earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so amazed by the subtleties and quirks in their characters. She formed a deep bond for a pair of whales with different temperaments.

“Eve chose me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Both transformed the way I perceive bonding.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales evolved against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her time at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, died. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the facility links to natural mortality, but which advocates say indicates the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The park did not operate to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand consequences 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 navigate with pieces in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not comment to a request for comment, but in the past asserted: “The whales … get far better health care and around the clock attention than any individual in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in early March following the passing of a beluga, an ailing beluga the employees had to put down. She said the park thought information of the death were leaked to the press and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left her and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the park’s warning to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any attempts to put down even a individual beluga would require “significant staff”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

She supports demands for the whales to be removed promptly from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In the autumn, the nation’s government official turned down a proposal to transfer the whales to China.

“To approve the request would have meant a ongoing situation in enclosure and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official wrote. “As Canadians, we know that belugas belong in the sea, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience approve an transfer that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments indicate a wider misunderstanding of the facts of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers work to find a resolution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A proposed protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received official endorsement, has shown to be contentious. The prospective location, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a sustainable answer for some of the whales.

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

Some experts say the possibility of a sanctuary indicates a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible approach in the short term.

Charles Vinick, head of the plan, said the site will simulate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|