🔗 Share this article

Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable small “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a disagreement between a defunct facility, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated debate over their fate often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the people who work with them regularly.

After the federal government disallowed the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled facility near the famous falls where they are held warned to put them down unless the authorities covers the upkeep of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that demand, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and social skills indicate they are deeply intelligent creatures – something one caretaker discovered personally.

Burgess spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a job that involved earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Developing those connections 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 mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She developed a particular love for two female belugas with different temperaments.

“Eve selected me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Both transformed the way I understand bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s relationship with the whales evolved against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her three years at the attraction, multiple 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 attributes to natural mortality, but which activists say indicates the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The park did not admit visitors to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly effects of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and move about with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not comment to a inquiry, but earlier stated: “The whales … get far higher quality medical attention and constant attention than any human in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in early March following the demise of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to put down. She said the park suspected particulars of the death were disclosed to the press and she was released soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and staff members in despair. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any efforts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “considerable personnel”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

Burgess advocates for demands for the whales to be taken right away from the park, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official denied a proposal to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a continued situation in confinement and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that whales are meant for the sea, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing approve an transfer that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s statements reflect a more general misunderstanding of the realities of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities struggle to find a solution, ideas have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A planned refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received regulatory clearance, has shown to be most controversial. The prospective site, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Supporters remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a long term solution 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 “only an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the prospect of a sanctuary reflects a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable plan in the coming months.

The project lead, leader of the initiative, said the site will simulate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|