🔗 Share this article

Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute little “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a tussle between a shuttered park, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their future often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the Canadian government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to China, the embattled amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are kept stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the government pays for the cost of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that demand, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and social skills indicate they are remarkably smart creatures – something a former trainer observed directly.

She spent three years as a beluga trainer, a position that entailed building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the details and unique traits in their dispositions. She developed a particular love for a pair of whales with opposing personalities.

“One whale selected me. The other required effort,” she said. “Each transformed the way I perceive bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

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

During her three years at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a toll which the park links to expected lifespan, but which activists say points to the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The park did not operate to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and navigate with fragments in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but previously stated: “The whales … receive far better veterinary services and 24/7 care than any individual in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in the spring following the passing of Eos, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the facility suspected information of the death were disclosed to the media and she was released not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left her and current and former trainers in distress. She says the park’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any plans to put down even a single beluga would require “significant personnel”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

She backs calls for the whales to be removed promptly from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a request to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a ongoing existence in confinement and a return to display for amusement,” the minister commented. “As the public, we know that belugas belong in the ocean, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing approve an export that would prolong the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments reflect a broader incorrect perception of the circumstances of living conditions 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. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As authorities attempt to find a answer, ideas have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A suggested refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received official endorsement, has proven most controversial. The planned location, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Supporters remain positive that it could in time represent a sustainable solution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the prospect of a refuge indicates a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible plan in the short term.

Charles Vinick, leader of the initiative, said the facility will mimic the cognitive activities and diet the whales get from trainers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|