🔗 Share this article

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute small “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a struggle between a defunct facility, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned debate over their future often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the federal government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to China, the embattled facility near the famous falls where they are kept stated it would consider to end their lives unless the authorities covers the cost of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that request, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and group interactions suggest they are remarkably smart mammals – something one caretaker learned personally.

Burgess spent three years as a beluga trainer, a job that involved building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so astounded by the details and quirks in their dispositions. She cultivated a deep bond for two female belugas with different personalities.

“One whale selected me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Each altered the way I view relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

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

During her tenure at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park attributes to expected lifespan, but which activists say indicates the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The park did not admit visitors to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the cessation. “Concrete is breaking off from the pools because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and move about with pieces in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not reply to a request for comment, but in the past claimed: “The whales … receive far better health care and around the clock attention than any individual in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in recent months following the death of a beluga, an sick beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the facility suspected information of the incident were leaked to the press and she was released soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and current and former trainers in distress. She says the park’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any attempts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “considerable staff”, equipment and machinery.

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

She supports calls for the whales to be removed right away from the park, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In late September, the nation’s government official turned down a request to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the request would have meant a ongoing situation in enclosure and a return to public entertainment,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that marine mammals are meant for the sea, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in good conscience approve an export that would continue the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments indicate a wider misunderstanding of the realities of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers struggle to find a answer, suggestions have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which has received government approval, has shown to be contentious. The planned site, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain optimistic that it could in time represent a long term answer for a number of the whales.

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

Others say the possibility of a sanctuary indicates 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 simulate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|