🔗 Share this article

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute small “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned debate over their future often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the people who work with them regularly.

After the federal government blocked the export of the belugas to China, the embattled facility near the famous falls where they are kept threatened to end their lives unless the government funds the expense of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that demand, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and group interactions indicate they are deeply intelligent animals – something one caretaker learned first-hand.

Burgess spent three years as a whale caretaker, a position that involved earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the nuances and unique traits in their characters. She formed a special affection for a pair of whales with opposing personalities.

“One whale chose me. The other required effort,” she said. “Both transformed the way I perceive bonding.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s connection with the whales developed against a background of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her three years at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the park ascribes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say reflects the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not operate to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the cessation. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and move about with pieces in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not respond to a request for comment, but earlier stated: “The whales … obtain far superior medical attention and 24/7 supervision than any individual in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in the spring following the passing of Eos, an ailing beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the park believed details of the incident were shared to the press and she was released shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left her and current and former trainers in despair. She says the facility’s warning to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “significant manpower”, vehicles and machinery.

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

Burgess advocates for calls for the whales to be transferred right away from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a request to transfer the whales to China.

“Allowing the application would have meant a ongoing existence in captivity and a return to display for amusement,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that belugas belong in the wild, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing permit an relocation that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s statements reveal a wider lack of awareness of the facts of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers work to find a answer, proposals have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a key source of sustenance for local populations.

A planned sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received official endorsement, has shown to be highly debated. The prospective location, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Advocates remain positive that it could eventually represent a sustainable resolution for eight of the whales.

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

Different voices say the prospect of a sanctuary indicates a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a feasible approach in the short term.

The project lead, leader of the plan, said the location will simulate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales get from specialists, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|