🔗 Share this article

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable little “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a struggle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the intense controversy over their fate often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been closely studied by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities blocked the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled attraction near the famous falls where they are kept warned to put them down unless the government funds the expense of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that demand, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, problem solving and communal behavior point to they are remarkably smart creatures – something a former trainer observed personally.

Burgess spent three years as a whale caretaker, a job that involved gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. 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 gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She developed a special affection for two female belugas with opposing temperaments.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “They changed the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her time at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the park links to natural mortality, but which activists say points to the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The park did not admit visitors to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the shutdown. “Concrete is falling apart from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and swim around with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not respond to a request for comment, but previously stated: “The whales … get far higher quality veterinary services and constant care than any human in the UK, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in the spring following the death of a beluga, an sick beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the facility suspected details of the death were disclosed to the press and she was let go soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and other caretakers in despair. She says the facility’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “considerable personnel”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess supports demands for the whales to be removed immediately from the park, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a proposal to export the whales to China.

“Granting the application would have meant a perpetual situation in enclosure and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister stated. “As Canadians, we know that belugas are meant for the wild, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience permit an export that would prolong the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements reveal a wider lack of awareness of the facts of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials attempt to find a solution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of food for Inuit communities.

A suggested protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which has received government approval, has shown to be highly debated. The planned site, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a long term resolution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the idea of a refuge reflects a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a viable approach in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, head of the sanctuary project, said the location will mimic the mental engagement and nutrition the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|