🔗 Share this article

Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a tussle between a closed attraction, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their future often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government prevented the export of the belugas to China, the embattled amusement park near the famous falls where they are housed warned to euthanize them unless the authorities covers the cost of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that request, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and communal behavior indicate they are deeply intelligent mammals – something Kristy Burgess discovered first-hand.

She spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a position that involved 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 unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She developed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with different personalities.

“One whale chose me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Both transformed the way I understand bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

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

During her tenure at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, died. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility links to natural mortality, but which activists say points to the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The park did not admit visitors to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the shutdown. “Concrete is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and swim around with chunks in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not respond to a inquiry, but earlier claimed: “The whales … get far higher quality medical attention and constant supervision than any person in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in the spring following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the park thought particulars of the incident were disclosed to the press and she was let go soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and staff members in despair. She says the facility’s warning to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any efforts to put down even a one beluga would require “immense staff”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess backs calls for the whales to be transferred right away from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a request to send the whales to China.

“Granting the application would have meant a ongoing situation in confinement and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister commented. “As the public, we know that belugas belong in the wild, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience permit an relocation that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements reflect a more general incorrect perception of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

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

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials work to find a solution, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for local populations.

A suggested protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which now received official endorsement, has proven highly debated. The planned site, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain positive that it could eventually represent a sustainable resolution for eight of the whales.

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

Others say the idea of a protected habitat reflects a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable plan in the short term.

Charles Vinick, head of the plan, said the site will replicate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|