🔗 Share this article

Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming small “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a tussle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated controversy over their destiny often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been carefully observed by the people who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities prevented the transfer of the belugas to China, the controversial facility near Niagara Falls where they are held warned to euthanize them unless the federal government funds the cost of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that demand, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and social skills indicate they are remarkably smart creatures – something a former trainer discovered first-hand.

Burgess spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a role that entailed gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the details and unique traits in their dispositions. She formed a particular love for a pair of whales with opposing temperaments.

“Eve selected me. The other required effort,” she said. “They altered the way I view relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her relationship with the whales evolved against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her time at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility ascribes to natural mortality, but which advocates say indicates the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The facility did not admit visitors to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand results of the shutdown. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and move about with fragments in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but in the past claimed: “The whales … receive far higher quality health care and around the clock care than any human in the UK, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in the spring following the passing of a beluga, an ailing beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility believed information of the incident were disclosed to the media and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in distress. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any attempts to put down even a single beluga would require “immense staff”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

She backs requests for the whales to be removed promptly from the park, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In the autumn, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a bid to export the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the request would have meant a perpetual situation in confinement and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official stated. “As the public, we know that whales should be in the ocean, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience permit an export that would prolong the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments reveal a broader incorrect perception of the facts of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers attempt to find a solution, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of food for local populations.

A planned protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received regulatory clearance, has been contentious. The planned location, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain positive that it could in time represent a long term resolution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the possibility of a refuge reflects a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a workable approach in the short term.

The project lead, director of the sanctuary project, said the location will mimic the cognitive activities and diet the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|