🔗 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 large but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a disagreement between a closed attraction, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated controversy over their future often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities prevented the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling attraction near Niagara Falls where they are kept threatened to euthanize them unless the federal government funds the expense of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that demand, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and group interactions indicate they are deeply intelligent creatures – something a former trainer observed personally.

She spent three years as a beluga trainer, a job that involved earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so surprised by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She developed a special affection for two female belugas with opposing natures.

“Eve chose me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Both altered the way I view relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her three years at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, died. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the facility ascribes to expected lifespan, but which activists say indicates the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The facility did not open to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the cessation. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and navigate with chunks in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not comment to a inquiry, but previously claimed: “The whales … get far higher quality medical attention and constant attention than any person in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in the spring following the demise of a beluga, an sick beluga the employees had to put down. She said the facility thought details of the death were leaked to the press and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and current and former trainers in distress. She says the facility’s threat to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any attempts to put down even a single beluga would require “significant manpower”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

Burgess backs requests for the whales to be transferred right away from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a bid to transfer the whales to China.

“Allowing the request would have meant a continued situation in captivity and a return to public entertainment,” the official wrote. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals are meant for the wild, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in good conscience authorize an transfer that would prolong the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

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

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As authorities work to find a resolution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a important part of sustenance for local populations.

A suggested refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received government approval, has shown to be highly debated. The prospective location, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain hopeful that it could in time represent a sustainable answer for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the prospect of a sanctuary reflects a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a workable plan in the near future.

The project lead, director of the plan, said the site will mimic the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|