🔗 Share this article

Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming small “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a struggle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the intense controversy over their destiny often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities blocked the export of the belugas to China, the struggling attraction near Niagara Falls where they are kept stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the government pays for the expense of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that request, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and group interactions indicate they are highly cognitive mammals – something a former trainer discovered first-hand.

She spent several years as a beluga trainer, a job that involved gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. 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 nonetheless amazed by the nuances and quirks in their personalities. She developed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing temperaments.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Both transformed the way I view relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s connection with the whales evolved against a context of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her tenure at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the park links to natural mortality, but which advocates say indicates the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The facility did not operate to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand results of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and swim around with chunks in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not comment to a questionnaire, but in the past stated: “The whales … get far superior veterinary services and constant attention than any person in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in recent months following the demise of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to put down. She said the facility thought particulars of the death were disclosed to the news outlets and she was released shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and other caretakers in anguish. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any attempts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “immense manpower”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

She advocates for demands for the whales to be removed promptly from the park, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a bid to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the request would have meant a ongoing life in enclosure and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister stated. “As the public, we know that belugas should be in the sea, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience approve an export that would prolong the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks indicate a broader misunderstanding of the facts of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers work to find a solution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of nourishment for local populations.

A proposed protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received regulatory clearance, has shown to be contentious. The future facility, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Advocates remain positive that it could in time represent a long term solution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the possibility of a refuge reflects a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable solution in the near future.

Charles Vinick, head of the sanctuary project, said the facility will simulate the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales get from trainers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|