🔗 Share this article

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable small “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a struggle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense controversy over their fate often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the federal government disallowed the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial amusement park near the famous falls where they are held warned to end their lives unless the government pays for the expense of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that demand, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and social skills suggest they are highly cognitive creatures – something Kristy Burgess learned first-hand.

Burgess spent three years as a beluga trainer, a role that required gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those connections over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so astounded by the details and quirks in their personalities. She formed a particular love for two female belugas with different temperaments.

“Eve selected me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “They changed the way I perceive bonding.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales developed against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her time at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the park ascribes to expected lifespan, but which activists say points to the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The facility did not open to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the shutdown. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and navigate with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not reply to a questionnaire, but in the past asserted: “The whales … receive far higher quality health care and 24/7 attention than any human in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in early March following the passing of a beluga, an unwell beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility suspected information of the incident were leaked to the press and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left her and other caretakers in distress. She says the facility’s threat to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any plans to euthanize even a one beluga would require “significant manpower”, trucks and machinery.

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

Burgess advocates for requests for the whales to be transferred immediately from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a request to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a ongoing situation in captivity and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As Canadians, we know that whales are meant for the ocean, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing permit an relocation that would continue the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments reflect a broader incorrect perception of the realities of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers work to find a solution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a key source of food for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which now received government approval, has been highly debated. The planned location, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a permanent answer for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the prospect of a refuge indicates a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a viable plan in the short term.

An official, director of the initiative, said the location will mimic the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|