🔗 Share this article

Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a disagreement between a defunct facility, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated debate over their future often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the federal government blocked the export of the belugas to China, the embattled attraction near the famous falls where they are kept stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the government covers the expense of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and social skills suggest they are highly cognitive creatures – something one caretaker discovered personally.

Burgess spent several years as a whale caretaker, a position that required earning the trust of the sea creatures.

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

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so surprised by the nuances and unique traits in their characters. She cultivated a particular love for a pair of whales with opposing natures.

“Eve selected me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “They transformed the way I understand bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales progressed against a context of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her time at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the park ascribes to expected lifespan, but which activists say reflects the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The park did not admit visitors to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand effects of the closure. “Structural materials is falling apart from the pools because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and navigate with fragments in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

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

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in the spring following the death of a beluga, an sick beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the facility suspected information of the death were leaked to the media and she was fired not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left her and current and former trainers in distress. She says the park’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any attempts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “significant manpower”, equipment and machinery.

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

She backs requests for the whales to be transferred immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a request to export the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a ongoing life in confinement and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official stated. “As Canadians, we know that belugas belong in the wild, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing approve an relocation that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments indicate a more general misunderstanding of the circumstances of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials work to find a resolution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A planned protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has been most controversial. The future site, which includes a large area of protected cove, is not yet built. Advocates remain positive that it could in time represent a long term answer for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the possibility of a refuge indicates a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a workable solution in the short term.

An official, head of the plan, said the site will simulate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|