🔗 Share this article

Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an charming small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a defunct facility, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense discussion over their fate often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government prevented the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled attraction near the famous falls where they are held stated it would consider to put them down unless the authorities pays for the expense of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that demand, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and communal behavior indicate they are highly cognitive mammals – something a former trainer discovered directly.

She spent several years as a beluga trainer, a position that entailed earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so surprised by the details and unique traits in their personalities. She cultivated a special affection for a pair of whales with opposing natures.

“One whale accepted me. The other demanded work,” she said. “They altered the way I perceive bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales progressed against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her time at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the park attributes to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say points to the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The facility did not admit visitors to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the shutdown. “Concrete is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and move about with pieces in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not reply to a questionnaire, but earlier claimed: “The whales … obtain far higher quality medical attention and constant supervision than any individual in the UK, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in early March following the demise of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the facility suspected details of the incident were disclosed to the media and she was released shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in distress. She says the park’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “considerable manpower”, equipment and heavy equipment.

“There’s no way in hell the caretakers would ever do it,” she said.

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

In late September, the nation’s government official turned down a bid to export the whales to China.

“Allowing the application would have meant a continued situation in enclosure and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official stated. “As the public, we know that whales should be in the sea, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience approve an relocation that would prolong the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements reflect a wider incorrect perception of the circumstances of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials work to find a resolution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has shown to be most controversial. The planned facility, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Advocates remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a long term solution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the prospect of a protected habitat represents a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a viable approach in the coming months.

The project lead, head of the sanctuary project, said the facility will mimic the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|