🔗 Share this article

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a tussle between a shuttered park, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated controversy over their fate often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities blocked the export of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near the famous falls where they are held threatened to put them down unless the authorities funds the upkeep of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that request, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and communal behavior suggest they are deeply intelligent creatures – something a former trainer learned personally.

She spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a job that required earning the trust of the marine predators.

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

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so surprised by the nuances and unique traits in their characters. She cultivated a particular love for a pair of whales with opposing personalities.

“One whale accepted me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “They changed the way I perceive connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales progressed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her time at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the facility attributes to natural mortality, but which advocates say points to the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The park did not open to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly results of the shutdown. “Structural materials is falling apart from the pools because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and swim around with chunks in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not comment to a request for comment, but in the past claimed: “The whales … receive far superior veterinary services and 24/7 supervision than any individual in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in early March following the demise of a beluga, an sick beluga the employees had to put down. She said the facility believed particulars of the death were disclosed to the news outlets and she was let go soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left her and current and former trainers in distress. She says the facility’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any plans to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “immense personnel”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

She supports demands for the whales to be transferred right away from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a bid to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a continued existence in confinement and a return to public entertainment,” the official wrote. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals belong in the sea, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing permit an export that would prolong the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks indicate a more general incorrect perception of the circumstances of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials attempt to find a solution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of food for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received official endorsement, has shown to be contentious. The prospective location, which includes a large area of protected cove, is not yet built. Supporters remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a long term answer for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ future.

Others say the prospect of a sanctuary indicates a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable solution in the coming months.

The project lead, head of the plan, said the site will mimic the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|