🔗 Share this article

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute little “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a disagreement between a defunct facility, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the intense discussion over their future often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the people who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government blocked the sale of the belugas to China, the controversial facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept threatened to put them down unless the federal government pays for the cost of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and communal behavior point to they are remarkably smart mammals – something Kristy Burgess observed first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a role that involved gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

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

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so surprised by the nuances and unique traits in their personalities. She cultivated a particular love for a pair of whales with contrasting personalities.

“Eve accepted me. The other required effort,” she said. “Each altered the way I perceive bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales progressed against a context of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, died. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility links to expected lifespan, but which advocates say indicates the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The facility did not admit visitors to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly effects of the cessation. “Concrete is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and move about with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not respond to a request for comment, but previously asserted: “The whales … receive far higher quality veterinary services and around the clock care than any person in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in recent months following the passing of a beluga, an unwell beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the facility thought details of the death were disclosed to the news outlets and she was released not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left her and other caretakers in anguish. She says the facility’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any efforts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “considerable manpower”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

She supports calls for the whales to be taken promptly from the park, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In late September, the nation’s government official turned down a bid to export the whales to China.

“Granting the request would have meant a perpetual life in confinement and a return to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As Canadians, we know that belugas are meant for the ocean, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience authorize an relocation that would prolong the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks reflect a wider misunderstanding of the facts of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

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

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials struggle to find a answer, proposals have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of food for local populations.

A planned protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received regulatory clearance, has proven most controversial. The planned location, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Advocates remain hopeful that it could in time represent a long term answer for eight of the whales.

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

Some experts say the prospect of a protected habitat reflects a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a viable approach in the coming months.

An official, leader of the initiative, said the facility will mimic the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|