🔗 Share this article

Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming little “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a disagreement between a closed attraction, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned debate over their destiny often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been carefully observed by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the federal government blocked the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are kept warned to put them down unless the authorities funds the cost of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and social skills suggest they are deeply intelligent animals – something one caretaker learned directly.

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

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the details and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She formed a deep bond for two female belugas with opposing personalities.

“Eve chose me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Both changed the way I understand bonding.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales developed against a background of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her time at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, died. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility ascribes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say indicates the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The facility did not operate to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the cessation. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and swim around with fragments in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but earlier asserted: “The whales … receive far better veterinary services and 24/7 supervision than any human in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in the spring following the passing of Eos, an sick beluga the employees had to put down. She said the facility suspected information of the incident were disclosed to the news outlets and she was released shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left her and other caretakers in distress. She says the facility’s warning to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any efforts to put down even a individual beluga would require “considerable manpower”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

She supports demands for the whales to be taken promptly from the facility, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a bid to send the whales to China.

“Allowing the request would have meant a perpetual situation in enclosure and a return to display for amusement,” the minister commented. “As society, we know that belugas should be in the sea, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience permit an transfer that would continue the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments reflect a wider incorrect perception of the facts of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers attempt to find a resolution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A planned sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received official endorsement, has proven most controversial. The future site, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain positive that it could ultimately represent a sustainable resolution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the idea of a refuge reflects a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a workable solution in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, director of the sanctuary project, said the site will mimic the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales get from trainers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|