🔗 Share this article

Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a disagreement between a closed attraction, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned debate over their destiny often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who see them each day.

After the national authorities prevented the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled facility near the famous falls where they are housed warned to put them down unless the federal government funds the upkeep of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and social skills indicate they are highly cognitive animals – something one caretaker observed directly.

She spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a role that entailed earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the start, 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 extraordinary and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the nuances and quirks in their characters. She cultivated a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing personalities.

“One whale accepted me. The other required effort,” she said. “They altered the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales progressed against a background of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her three years at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a toll which the park attributes to age-related causes, but which advocates say reflects the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The facility did not operate to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the cessation. “Structural materials is breaking off from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and swim around with fragments in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not comment to a inquiry, but previously claimed: “The whales … receive far better medical attention and around the clock attention than any person in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in early March following the demise of Eos, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the park believed particulars of the death were shared to the press and she was released soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and other caretakers in despair. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any efforts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “immense manpower”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

Burgess backs demands for the whales to be taken promptly from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a bid to transfer the whales to China.

“To approve the application would have meant a continued situation in enclosure and a return to display for amusement,” the minister stated. “As society, we know that whales should be in the sea, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience permit an export that would continue the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

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

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials work to find a resolution, proposals have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A planned sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received government approval, has shown to be highly debated. The future facility, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Supporters remain optimistic that it could in time represent a sustainable resolution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the possibility of a sanctuary reflects a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable approach in the coming months.

The project lead, head of the plan, said the location will mimic the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|