🔗 Share this article

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute small “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a tussle between a defunct facility, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the intense debate over their fate often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government disallowed the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are held warned to put them down unless the authorities covers the cost of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that demand, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and communal behavior indicate they are deeply intelligent mammals – something a former trainer learned directly.

She spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that involved gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the subtleties and unique traits in their dispositions. She cultivated a deep bond for two female belugas with opposing natures.

“One whale selected me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Both altered the way I perceive relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales evolved against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her three years at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park ascribes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say points to the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The facility did not admit visitors to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the shutdown. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and navigate with fragments in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not comment to a questionnaire, but earlier claimed: “The whales … receive far higher quality health care and constant supervision than any human in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in recent months following the passing of Eos, an ailing beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility thought information of the incident were leaked to the news outlets and she was released not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left her and current and former trainers in distress. She says the facility’s threat to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any efforts to put down even a one beluga would require “immense personnel”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

Burgess supports demands for the whales to be taken promptly from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In recent months, the nation’s government official denied a proposal to export the whales to China.

“Granting the application would have meant a continued life in enclosure and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister commented. “As the public, we know that belugas are meant for the wild, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing approve an transfer that would continue the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks reveal a wider incorrect perception of the facts of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities 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 wilds of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A proposed sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which has received regulatory clearance, has shown to be contentious. The prospective site, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain positive that it could in time represent a sustainable answer for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the prospect of a protected habitat indicates a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a viable plan in the short term.

An official, director of the plan, said the facility will mimic the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|