🔗 Share this article

Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an charming little “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a disagreement between a closed attraction, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the heated controversy over their future often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the federal government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled attraction near the famous falls where they are housed threatened to euthanize them unless the government funds the expense of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that demand, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and communal behavior point to they are remarkably smart creatures – something a former trainer discovered personally.

She spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a role that involved building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the subtleties and quirks in their personalities. She formed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with different temperaments.

“Eve chose me. The other demanded work,” she said. “They transformed the way I view relationships.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her tenure at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility links to natural mortality, but which activists say points to the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The park did not admit visitors to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly effects of the cessation. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and move about with fragments in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not reply to a request for comment, but earlier asserted: “The whales … get far higher quality medical attention and constant care than any person in the Britain, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in the spring following the passing of Eos, an ailing beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the park thought details of the death were disclosed to the press and she was released not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left her and current and former trainers in distress. She says the park’s warning to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any plans to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “immense personnel”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

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

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a request to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a ongoing situation in captivity and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister wrote. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals belong in the wild, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing approve an transfer that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements indicate a broader incorrect perception of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As authorities work to find a solution, ideas have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A planned protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which has received regulatory clearance, has proven highly debated. The future site, which includes a large area of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a permanent answer for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the idea of a sanctuary reflects a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a workable plan in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, head of the plan, said the location will simulate the cognitive activities and diet the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|