🔗 Share this article

Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an charming small “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a disagreement between a closed attraction, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated discussion over their future often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities blocked the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled facility near Niagara Falls where they are held stated it would consider to end their lives unless the federal government covers the upkeep of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that request, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and communal behavior indicate they are remarkably smart creatures – something a former trainer learned directly.

She spent three years as a whale caretaker, a role that involved earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the nuances and quirks in their characters. She developed a particular love for two female belugas with opposing temperaments.

“Eve selected me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Each altered the way I understand connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s relationship with the whales progressed against a context of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her time at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park links to age-related causes, but which activists say points to the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not open to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes effects of the closure. “Structural materials is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and move about with fragments in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not respond to a request for comment, but earlier asserted: “The whales … obtain far better medical attention and 24/7 supervision than any individual in the UK, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in the spring following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the facility believed information of the death were leaked to the news outlets and she was released soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left her and current and former trainers in despair. She says the park’s warning to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any plans to put down even a single beluga would require “significant staff”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

She supports calls for the whales to be transferred promptly from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In late September, the nation’s government official turned down a bid to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the request would have meant a perpetual existence in captivity and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official wrote. “As society, we know that whales belong in the ocean, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an relocation that would continue the situation these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks reveal a wider incorrect perception of the facts of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials attempt to find a solution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A proposed refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which has received regulatory clearance, has shown to be highly debated. The planned location, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a long term answer for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ future.

Others say the idea of a refuge reflects a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a feasible solution in the coming months.

An official, director of the plan, said the facility will simulate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|