🔗 Share this article

Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming small “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a struggle between a defunct facility, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the heated debate over their fate often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the Canadian government blocked the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling facility near the famous falls where they are held stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the authorities pays for the upkeep of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that demand, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and social skills suggest they are deeply intelligent creatures – something one caretaker observed directly.

Burgess spent three years as a beluga trainer, a role that entailed earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the subtleties and unique traits in their characters. She formed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing temperaments.

“One whale chose me. The other required effort,” she said. “Both changed the way I perceive bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales developed against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her time at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park attributes to expected lifespan, but which activists say points to the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The facility did not open to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly consequences of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and navigate with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not respond to a request for comment, but earlier claimed: “The whales … receive far better veterinary services and 24/7 supervision than any individual in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was fired from the park in early March following the demise of a beluga, an sick beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the park thought details of the death were shared to the media and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and staff members in anguish. She says the facility’s warning to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “significant personnel”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess backs calls for the whales to be taken right away from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

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

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a continued life in confinement and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official stated. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals belong in the ocean, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience permit an export that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments reflect a more general misunderstanding of the circumstances of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities struggle to find a solution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A suggested protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which now received regulatory clearance, has shown to be highly debated. The planned site, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Proponents remain positive that it could eventually represent a long term resolution for some of the whales.

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

Different voices say the prospect of a refuge reflects a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a viable approach in the short term.

Charles Vinick, director of the initiative, said the facility will simulate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|