🔗 Share this article

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an charming little “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a tussle between a closed attraction, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated controversy over their fate often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the federal government disallowed the sale of the belugas to China, the controversial facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept stated it would consider to end their lives unless the authorities pays for the upkeep of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that request, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and communal behavior point to they are deeply intelligent mammals – something a former trainer learned first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a role that entailed earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the subtleties and unique traits in their dispositions. She developed a special affection for two female belugas with contrasting personalities.

“One whale accepted me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Both altered the way I understand connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her tenure at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility ascribes to age-related causes, but which advocates say reflects the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not admit visitors to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand results of the closure. “Structural materials is falling apart from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and swim around with fragments in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not reply to a inquiry, but previously claimed: “The whales … obtain far better health care and around the clock attention than any human in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in early March following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the facility thought particulars of the death were disclosed to the news outlets and she was released not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left her and other caretakers in despair. She says the facility’s threat to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any plans to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “immense manpower”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

She backs demands for the whales to be removed right away from the park, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a request to send the whales to China.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a ongoing life in confinement and a return to public entertainment,” the minister stated. “As Canadians, we know that whales belong in the wild, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience approve an export that would continue the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments reflect a broader incorrect perception of the circumstances of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As authorities work to find a answer, suggestions have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A planned sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which now received government approval, has proven most controversial. The planned site, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain optimistic that it could in time represent a long term answer for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the possibility of a refuge indicates a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible plan in the coming months.

The project lead, leader of the initiative, said the facility will replicate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|