🔗 Share this article

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an charming little “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a disagreement between a closed attraction, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated discussion over their fate often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the people who work with them regularly.

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

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and social skills indicate they are deeply intelligent animals – something Kristy Burgess observed personally.

She spent several years as a whale caretaker, a job that required gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so surprised by the nuances and unique traits in their characters. She developed a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with different personalities.

“Eve selected me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Each transformed the way I understand bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales evolved against a context of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her time at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the park ascribes to natural mortality, but which activists say indicates the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The park did not open to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the cessation. “Concrete is breaking off from the pools because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not comment to a inquiry, but earlier claimed: “The whales … obtain far superior health care and constant attention than any person in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in recent months following the demise of a beluga, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park suspected information of the death were disclosed to the media and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left her and staff members in despair. She says the facility’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any efforts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “immense personnel”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

She backs requests for the whales to be transferred promptly from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In recent months, the nation’s government official turned down a bid to send the whales to China.

“Granting the application would have meant a ongoing situation in enclosure and a return to public entertainment,” the official stated. “As Canadians, we know that whales belong in the wild, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an transfer that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments reflect a broader misunderstanding of the circumstances of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials work to find a solution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received government approval, has proven most controversial. The planned location, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain positive that it could ultimately represent a long term answer for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the prospect of a sanctuary indicates a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a viable solution in the near future.

An official, director of the sanctuary project, said the location will mimic the mental engagement and diet the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|