🔗 Share this article

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a disagreement between a shuttered park, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense controversy over their fate often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the federal government prevented the export of the belugas to China, the embattled amusement park near the famous falls where they are kept warned to put them down unless the authorities covers the cost of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that request, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and group interactions indicate they are highly cognitive mammals – something one caretaker discovered first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a position that required earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the details and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She cultivated a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing natures.

“Eve accepted me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Each altered the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales evolved against a background of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her three years at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a toll which the park links to expected lifespan, but which advocates say points to the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The facility did not admit visitors to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand effects of the cessation. “Concrete is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and move about with fragments in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not reply to a questionnaire, but in the past stated: “The whales … receive far better health care and constant care than any person in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in early March following the death of a beluga, an unwell beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the park suspected information of the death were shared to the media and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left her and staff members in despair. She says the park’s threat to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any plans to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “considerable staff”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

Burgess advocates for calls for the whales to be removed immediately from the facility, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a request to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a perpetual situation in captivity and a return to public entertainment,” the minister wrote. “As the public, we know that belugas should be in the sea, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing permit an relocation that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

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

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities attempt to find a solution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A planned sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received official endorsement, has proven highly debated. The future facility, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain optimistic that it could in time represent a long term answer for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the possibility of a sanctuary represents a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable plan in the short term.

Charles Vinick, head of the sanctuary project, said the facility will mimic the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|