🔗 Share this article

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming little “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a struggle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated controversy over their fate often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government blocked the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near the famous falls where they are held threatened to put them down unless the government pays for the upkeep of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that demand, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and social skills indicate they are deeply intelligent animals – something one caretaker discovered personally.

She spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a position that entailed earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the details and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She formed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting personalities.

“One whale selected me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Both changed the way I understand connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

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

During her time at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, succumbed. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park links to age-related causes, but which advocates say reflects the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The facility did not operate to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly results of the shutdown. “Concrete is breaking off from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and swim around with pieces in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not comment to a inquiry, but previously stated: “The whales … receive far superior medical attention and constant attention than any person in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in the spring following the death of a beluga, an ailing beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the facility thought information of the incident were leaked to the news outlets and she was released shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in distress. She says the park’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any plans to put down even a individual beluga would require “significant staff”, vehicles and machinery.

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

Burgess supports requests for the whales to be transferred immediately from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In late September, Canada’s government official denied a bid to transfer the whales to China.

“Allowing the application would have meant a ongoing situation in confinement and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister wrote. “As the public, we know that whales should be in the sea, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience approve an transfer that would prolong the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments indicate a wider misunderstanding of the facts of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

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

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials attempt to find a answer, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A planned sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which now received official endorsement, has proven most controversial. The future site, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Advocates remain positive that it could eventually represent a permanent resolution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the prospect of a protected habitat indicates a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a feasible solution in the short term.

An official, director of the initiative, said the location will simulate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|