🔗 Share this article

Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a struggle between a defunct facility, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated discussion over their future often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the federal government prevented the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near the famous falls where they are held warned to put them down unless the federal government funds the expense of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that demand, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and group interactions point to they are deeply intelligent mammals – something Kristy Burgess learned first-hand.

She spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that involved gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She developed a special affection for a pair of whales with contrasting natures.

“Eve selected me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Each transformed the way I perceive bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

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

During her tenure at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the facility ascribes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say reflects the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The facility did not open to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand effects of the shutdown. “Concrete is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and move about with fragments in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not comment to a questionnaire, but earlier claimed: “The whales … get far superior veterinary services and constant supervision than any person in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the park in recent months following the demise of Eos, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the facility believed details of the death were shared to the media and she was released soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and current and former trainers in distress. She says the facility’s threat to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “immense manpower”, equipment and machinery.

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

Burgess backs requests for the whales to be transferred promptly from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a proposal to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the application would have meant a perpetual life in enclosure and a return to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As society, we know that whales belong in the wild, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience authorize an transfer that would continue the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the minister’s remarks reflect a broader incorrect perception of the realities of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers attempt to find a solution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of food for Inuit communities.

A proposed sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received official endorsement, has shown to be most controversial. The prospective site, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a permanent resolution for eight of the whales.

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

Others say the idea of a refuge indicates a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a viable solution in the coming months.

An official, leader of the sanctuary project, said the site will replicate the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|