🔗 Share this article

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a tussle between a shuttered park, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated debate over their destiny often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been carefully observed by the humans who see them each day.

After the Canadian government blocked the sale of the belugas to China, the controversial attraction near Niagara Falls where they are kept warned to end their lives unless the federal government pays for the expense of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and social skills point to they are highly cognitive creatures – something one caretaker discovered personally.

Burgess spent three years as a whale caretaker, a role that entailed earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the nuances and quirks in their dispositions. She developed a deep bond for two female belugas with contrasting natures.

“One whale selected me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Each altered the way I view bonding.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her three years at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility attributes to age-related causes, but which activists say points to the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not open to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly results of the cessation. “Structural materials is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and navigate with fragments in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not reply to a inquiry, but in the past stated: “The whales … obtain far superior medical attention and constant care than any individual in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in the spring following the demise of Eos, an ailing beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the park thought details of the death were leaked to the press and she was released shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left her and current and former trainers in despair. She says the facility’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any attempts to put down even a single beluga would require “immense staff”, vehicles and machinery.

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

Burgess advocates for requests for the whales to be removed right away from the park, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official turned down a proposal to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the request would have meant a ongoing situation in enclosure and a return to public entertainment,” the minister commented. “As the public, we know that marine mammals should be in the sea, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience permit an export that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments reveal a broader lack of awareness of the realities of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely 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 ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials work to find a answer, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of food for local populations.

A suggested refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received official endorsement, has proven highly debated. The prospective site, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain positive that it could eventually represent a permanent resolution 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.

Some experts say the prospect of a protected habitat indicates a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a workable approach in the short term.

An official, head of the plan, said the site will mimic the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|