🔗 Share this article

Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute small “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a tussle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the intense controversy over their destiny often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the people who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities blocked the export of the belugas to China, the embattled attraction near Niagara Falls where they are kept warned to put them down unless the authorities pays for the upkeep of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that demand, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and group interactions point to they are remarkably smart animals – something a former trainer learned directly.

She spent three years as a whale caretaker, a role that required gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the subtleties and unique traits in their personalities. She cultivated a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing temperaments.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “They changed the way I view relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales evolved against a context of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her time at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park links to natural mortality, but which campaigners say points to the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The facility did not operate to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and navigate with pieces in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not respond to a inquiry, but in the past asserted: “The whales … get far higher quality health care and around the clock attention than any person in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in early March following the passing of Eos, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park suspected details of the incident were disclosed to the media and she was released not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left her and staff members in distress. She says the facility’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any efforts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “immense staff”, trucks and heavy equipment.

“It’s impossible in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess advocates for calls for the whales to be taken right away from the park, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In late September, Canada’s government official rejected a bid to send the whales to China.

“To approve the request would have meant a continued existence in enclosure and a return to display for amusement,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that whales belong in the sea, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing permit an export that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

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

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As authorities attempt to find a answer, suggestions have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of food for local populations.

A planned refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received regulatory clearance, has proven most controversial. The future location, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a permanent resolution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the prospect of a refuge indicates a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable plan in the near future.

Charles Vinick, head of the initiative, said the site will mimic the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales get 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|