🔗 Share this article

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned controversy over their future often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the national authorities prevented the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling facility near the famous falls where they are held stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the federal government funds the upkeep of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and social skills indicate they are deeply intelligent animals – something Kristy Burgess learned directly.

She spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that required earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so astounded by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She formed a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with different natures.

“One whale accepted me. The other demanded work,” she said. “They changed the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her relationship with the whales evolved against a backdrop 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 2019, a toll which the park attributes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say points to the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The park did not operate to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she observed directly effects of the cessation. “Structural materials is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not comment to a inquiry, but in the past claimed: “The whales … receive far superior veterinary services and constant supervision than any individual in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in early March following the demise of Eos, an ailing beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the facility believed particulars of the death were shared to the press and she was released not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in anguish. She says the facility’s threat to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any efforts to put down even a single beluga would require “significant staff”, equipment and heavy equipment.

“It’s impossible in hell the staff would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess backs calls 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 export the whales to China.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a continued life in enclosure and a return to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that belugas should be in the ocean, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing approve an relocation that would prolong the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s statements reveal a more general misunderstanding of the realities of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials struggle to find a solution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A suggested protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which now received government approval, has been highly debated. The future site, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, is not yet built. Advocates remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a permanent solution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the idea of a protected habitat represents a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable plan in the near future.

The project lead, leader of the plan, said the location will mimic the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|