🔗 Share this article

Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but fiercely protective friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a struggle between a closed attraction, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the heated debate over their future often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been carefully observed by the people who work with them regularly.

After the federal government disallowed the sale of the belugas to China, the controversial attraction near Niagara Falls where they are held stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the government pays for the cost of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and communal behavior point to they are highly cognitive creatures – something Kristy Burgess discovered first-hand.

Burgess spent several years as a beluga trainer, a role that required building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the nuances and unique traits in their personalities. She developed a particular love for two female belugas with contrasting temperaments.

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

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales progressed against a background of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her three years at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the park links to age-related causes, but which campaigners say reflects the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The park did not open to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand results of the cessation. “Structural materials is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and navigate with fragments in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not respond to a inquiry, but in the past claimed: “The whales … get far better veterinary services and constant supervision than any individual in the Britain, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in the spring following the death of a beluga, an sick beluga the employees had to put down. She said the park thought particulars of the incident were leaked to the press and she was released shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and staff members in anguish. She says the park’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any attempts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “immense personnel”, equipment and machinery.

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

Burgess supports requests for the whales to be removed right away from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official turned down a request to transfer the whales to China.

“Granting the application would have meant a ongoing life in enclosure and a return to display for amusement,” the minister commented. “As the public, we know that whales should be in the ocean, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing approve an transfer that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments reflect a wider misunderstanding of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats 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 ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities work to find a solution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received government approval, has shown to be highly debated. The prospective facility, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain optimistic that it could in time represent a long term solution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the possibility of a refuge represents a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible plan in the near future.

The project lead, leader of the sanctuary project, said the site will simulate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|