🔗 Share this article

Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable little “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a disagreement between a shuttered park, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated controversy over their destiny often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been carefully observed by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government prevented the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling facility near the famous falls where they are held warned to end their lives unless the government covers the expense of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and communal behavior indicate they are deeply intelligent creatures – something Kristy Burgess discovered first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a position that entailed 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. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the details and quirks in their characters. She cultivated a special affection for two female belugas with opposing temperaments.

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

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s interaction with the whales evolved against a context of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her three years at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, died. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park links to expected lifespan, but which advocates say points to the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The park did not operate to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly results of the cessation. “Concrete is falling apart from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and navigate with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not reply to a request for comment, but in the past asserted: “The whales … get far better medical attention and around the clock care than any person in the Britain, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in recent months following the demise of a beluga, an sick beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the facility believed details of the incident were shared to the media and she was let go not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left her and other caretakers in distress. She says the facility’s threat to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a one 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 demands for the whales to be taken immediately from the park, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a proposal to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the request would have meant a continued life in captivity and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official wrote. “As the public, we know that marine mammals belong in the wild, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience permit an relocation that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks reflect a more general incorrect perception of the realities of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to realize 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 understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers attempt to find a resolution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A proposed sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received official endorsement, has proven most controversial. The planned facility, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Supporters remain hopeful that it could in time represent a permanent resolution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the prospect of a refuge reflects a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a feasible plan in the coming months.

The project lead, director of the sanctuary project, said the facility will mimic the cognitive activities and diet the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|