🔗 Share this article

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a disagreement between a defunct facility, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned debate over their fate often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the people who interact with them daily.

After the federal government prevented the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial facility near the famous falls where they are held threatened to put them down unless the authorities pays for the cost of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and social skills point to they are remarkably smart mammals – something Kristy Burgess observed directly.

Burgess spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that involved building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She developed a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting temperaments.

“One whale chose me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Each transformed the way I view relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

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

During her tenure at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the park attributes to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say indicates the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The facility did not admit visitors to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the shutdown. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and move about with pieces in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not reply to a request for comment, but previously asserted: “The whales … obtain far better veterinary services and around the clock supervision than any person in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in the spring following the demise of Eos, an sick beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the park thought details of the death were shared to the news outlets and she was fired not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and staff members in anguish. She says the park’s warning to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any attempts to put down even a single beluga would require “significant personnel”, equipment and machinery.

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

Burgess advocates for calls for the whales to be transferred right away from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a request to export the whales to China.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a continued situation in captivity and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official stated. “As society, we know that marine mammals are meant for the wild, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing permit an export that would continue the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments indicate a broader misunderstanding of the facts of existence for belugas born in captivity.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials struggle to find a answer, proposals have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of nourishment for local populations.

A proposed sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has shown to be contentious. The planned facility, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Proponents remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a long term resolution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the idea of a sanctuary reflects a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable approach in the short term.

The project lead, leader of the sanctuary project, said the facility will simulate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|