🔗 Share this article

Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute small “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big 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 captive beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a tussle between a shuttered park, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated discussion over their destiny often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the federal government blocked the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are held warned to end their lives unless the government pays for the upkeep of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and social skills indicate they are deeply intelligent animals – something one caretaker learned personally.

She spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a role that involved building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the nuances and quirks in their dispositions. She formed a special affection for a pair of whales with contrasting natures.

“One whale chose me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Both transformed the way I perceive relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s interaction with the whales developed against a background of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her time at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park ascribes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say points to the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The park did not admit visitors to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes effects of the shutdown. “Structural materials is breaking off from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and navigate with fragments in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not reply to a request for comment, but previously claimed: “The whales … receive far better veterinary services and constant supervision than any person in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in the spring following the demise of Eos, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the park suspected particulars of the incident were disclosed to the press and she was let go soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left her and staff members in anguish. She says the park’s warning to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any plans to put down even a individual beluga would require “significant personnel”, equipment and specialized tools.

“It cannot happen in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess backs demands for the whales to be transferred immediately from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a proposal to transfer the whales to China.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a perpetual life in captivity and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official wrote. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals belong in the sea, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in good conscience permit an transfer that would continue the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks indicate a broader misunderstanding of the facts of existence for belugas born in captivity.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials work to find a solution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which now received government approval, has shown to be contentious. The planned facility, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Supporters remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a long term solution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the possibility of a refuge represents a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable plan in the coming months.

The project lead, head of the sanctuary project, said the location will replicate the mental engagement and diet the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|