🔗 Share this article

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute little “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a disagreement between a closed attraction, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned discussion over their destiny often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities prevented the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled attraction near Niagara Falls where they are housed stated it would consider to put them down unless the authorities covers the cost of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that request, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and communal behavior indicate they are remarkably smart mammals – something Kristy Burgess learned first-hand.

She spent three years as a whale caretaker, a position that entailed earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the beginning, 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 rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so surprised by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She cultivated a deep bond for two female belugas with opposing natures.

“Eve accepted me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “They altered the way I understand bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales evolved against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her three years at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the park attributes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say reflects the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The facility did not open to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and navigate with chunks in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but earlier asserted: “The whales … receive far higher quality health care and constant care than any individual in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in early March following the death of Eos, an sick beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the facility suspected information of the incident were disclosed to the news outlets and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and other caretakers in despair. She says the park’s warning to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any attempts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “immense personnel”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess advocates for requests for the whales to be transferred immediately from the facility, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In late September, Canada’s government official turned down a proposal to transfer the whales to China.

“Granting the application would have meant a ongoing existence in captivity and a return to public entertainment,” the minister stated. “As Canadians, we know that belugas are meant for the sea, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in good conscience approve an transfer that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments reveal a more general misunderstanding of the realities of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials attempt to find a solution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of food for local populations.

A proposed protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received regulatory clearance, has shown to be highly debated. The prospective location, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Supporters remain positive that it could eventually represent a sustainable answer for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the idea of a refuge represents a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a workable plan in the coming months.

The project lead, leader of the initiative, said the site will simulate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|