🔗 Share this article

Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a tussle between a defunct facility, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense controversy over their fate often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities disallowed the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling attraction near the famous falls where they are held warned to end their lives unless the government pays for the expense of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and social skills suggest they are highly cognitive mammals – something a former trainer observed personally.

She spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a role that required earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so amazed by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She formed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with different temperaments.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Each changed the way I perceive connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales evolved against a background of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her three years at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the park links to expected lifespan, but which advocates say indicates the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The park did not open to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and move about with fragments in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not reply to a questionnaire, but in the past stated: “The whales … obtain far superior veterinary services and 24/7 care than any human in the UK, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in the spring following the passing of a beluga, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the park suspected details of the incident were disclosed to the media and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the park’s warning to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any attempts to put down even a one beluga would require “immense staff”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

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

In recent months, the nation’s government official rejected a bid to export the whales to China.

“Granting the request would have meant a ongoing existence in confinement and a return to public entertainment,” the minister commented. “As society, we know that belugas belong in the ocean, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience permit an relocation that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments indicate a broader misunderstanding of the circumstances of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities attempt to find a solution, proposals have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received government approval, has been most controversial. The planned facility, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Supporters remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a permanent solution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the idea of a sanctuary represents a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a workable approach in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, leader of the sanctuary project, said the location will mimic the cognitive activities and diet the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|