🔗 Share this article

Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming small “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a tussle between a defunct facility, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned debate over their fate often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the people who interact with them daily.

After the federal government blocked the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling amusement park near the famous falls where they are housed threatened to put them down unless the federal government pays for the upkeep of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, problem solving and social skills point to they are remarkably smart creatures – something Kristy Burgess learned personally.

Burgess spent several years as a beluga trainer, a job that entailed earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She formed a particular love for two female belugas with different temperaments.

“Eve accepted me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Each altered the way I view connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s connection with the whales progressed against a background of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her time at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, died. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility links to expected lifespan, but which advocates say reflects the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The park did not admit visitors to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly results of the closure. “Structural materials is breaking off from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and navigate with fragments in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not reply to a questionnaire, but previously asserted: “The whales … get far superior health care and constant care than any human in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in early March following the demise of a beluga, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the facility suspected details of the death were leaked to the press and she was released soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in anguish. She says the park’s warning to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any efforts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “considerable manpower”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess advocates for calls for the whales to be removed promptly from the park, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a proposal to send the whales to China.

“Allowing the request would have meant a continued life in confinement and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official wrote. “As Canadians, we know that whales belong in the sea, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an transfer that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s remarks reflect a wider lack of awareness of the facts of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities work to find a solution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of food for local populations.

A suggested refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which now received official endorsement, has proven highly debated. The prospective location, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Supporters remain positive that it could in time represent a permanent solution for eight of the whales.

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

Different voices say the prospect of a protected habitat indicates a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a workable plan in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, leader of the initiative, said the facility will mimic the cognitive activities and diet the whales get from trainers, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|