🔗 Share this article

Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming small “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a struggle between a shuttered park, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense controversy over their destiny often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been closely studied by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the federal government prevented the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are held warned to end their lives unless the government covers the upkeep of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and social skills indicate they are remarkably smart creatures – something one caretaker observed first-hand.

Burgess spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a role that entailed gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

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

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so amazed by the subtleties and quirks in their personalities. She developed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting personalities.

“Eve selected me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Both altered the way I view bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales progressed against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her time at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the park attributes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say points to the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The facility did not operate to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly results of the shutdown. “Concrete is breaking off from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and move about with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not comment to a request for comment, but earlier claimed: “The whales … get far better veterinary services and constant attention than any person in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in early March following the death of a beluga, an unwell beluga the employees had to put down. She said the park believed particulars of the incident were leaked to the news outlets and she was fired not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left her and other caretakers in anguish. She says the facility’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “immense staff”, equipment and specialized tools.

“It’s impossible in hell the caretakers would ever do it,” she said.

She backs demands for the whales to be transferred promptly from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

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

“Granting the application would have meant a ongoing situation in captivity and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As society, we know that marine mammals are meant for the wild, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing permit an export that would continue the situation these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks reveal a broader incorrect perception of the facts of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials work to find a solution, 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 natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of food for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received regulatory clearance, has been contentious. The prospective site, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a permanent answer for eight of the whales.

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

Different voices say the prospect of a sanctuary represents a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a feasible approach in the near future.

An official, director of the plan, said the site will simulate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales get from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|