🔗 Share this article

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an charming little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles 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 become pawns in a tussle between a shuttered park, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned debate over their destiny often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the Canadian government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near the famous falls where they are held stated it would consider to end their lives unless the authorities covers the upkeep of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and social skills suggest they are remarkably smart animals – something one caretaker learned personally.

She spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a job that required building relationships of the marine predators.

“Building up 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 reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the details and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She developed a special affection for two female belugas with opposing personalities.

“Eve chose me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Each transformed the way I perceive relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her relationship with the whales developed against a background of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her three years at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility attributes to natural mortality, but which activists say reflects the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The park did not admit visitors to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly results of the cessation. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and navigate with fragments in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but earlier asserted: “The whales … obtain far better health care and around the clock attention than any individual in the UK, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in early March following the demise of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to put down. She said the park suspected details of the incident were leaked to the media and she was released not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left her and other caretakers in despair. She says the park’s threat to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any attempts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “significant staff”, trucks and machinery.

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

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

In the autumn, Canada’s government official turned down a request to send the whales to China.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a ongoing situation in confinement and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official stated. “As Canadians, we know that whales belong in the wild, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience authorize an transfer that would continue the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks indicate a wider lack of awareness of the circumstances of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials struggle to find a solution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of food for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which now received official endorsement, has been highly debated. The future site, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Supporters remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a sustainable answer 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.

Some experts say the possibility of a refuge represents a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a viable plan in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, leader of the sanctuary project, said the site will mimic the mental engagement and diet the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|