🔗 Share this article

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute small “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a tussle between a shuttered park, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense discussion over their fate often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the federal government blocked the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling attraction near Niagara Falls where they are held threatened to euthanize them unless the government covers the cost of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that demand, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and group interactions point to they are deeply intelligent animals – something Kristy Burgess observed directly.

She spent three years as a beluga trainer, a role that involved earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the subtleties and quirks in their personalities. She formed a particular love for a pair of whales with contrasting personalities.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Each transformed the way I understand bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales evolved against a background of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her three years at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, died. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the park links to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say points to the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The park did not open to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she observed directly results of the closure. “Structural materials is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and move about with pieces in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not comment to a request for comment, but earlier asserted: “The whales … obtain far superior health care and constant attention than any individual in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in the spring following the passing of Eos, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the facility believed information of the death were shared to the media and she was released not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and current and former trainers in despair. She says the park’s threat to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any attempts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “immense manpower”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

“It cannot happen in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess backs calls for the whales to be removed promptly from the facility, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a request to export the whales to China.

“To approve the request would have meant a perpetual existence in confinement and a return to display for amusement,” the official wrote. “As Canadians, we know that whales belong in the ocean, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience approve an export that would continue the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks indicate a broader incorrect perception of the realities of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people 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. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials work to find a answer, proposals have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of nourishment for local populations.

A proposed sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received government approval, has shown to be highly debated. The prospective facility, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain positive that it could ultimately represent a permanent resolution for a number of the whales.

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

Different voices say the prospect of a sanctuary represents a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a viable solution in the coming months.

The project lead, leader of the plan, said the facility will simulate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|