🔗 Share this article

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable small “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a struggle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated controversy over their future often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the federal government disallowed the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling facility near the famous falls where they are kept stated it would consider to end their lives unless the federal government covers the cost of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, problem solving and group interactions suggest they are remarkably smart creatures – something a former trainer discovered first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a role that entailed building relationships of the marine predators.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the subtleties and unique traits in their dispositions. She developed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing personalities.

“One whale selected me. The other required effort,” she said. “Each changed the way I understand connection.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales evolved against a context of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the park attributes to age-related causes, but which activists say indicates the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The park did not open to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand effects of the cessation. “Concrete is breaking off from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and move about with fragments in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not comment to a inquiry, but previously stated: “The whales … obtain far higher quality veterinary services and 24/7 attention than any individual in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in early March following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the park believed information of the death were shared to the press and she was released shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left her and current and former trainers in despair. She says the facility’s threat to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “significant personnel”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

She advocates for demands for the whales to be transferred promptly from the facility, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a bid to export the whales to China.

“Allowing the application would have meant a continued existence in confinement and a return to display for amusement,” the minister stated. “As society, we know that whales should be in the ocean, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing permit an export that would continue the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements reveal a more general misunderstanding of the realities of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers work to find a answer, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of food for local populations.

A suggested protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received government approval, has been most controversial. The prospective location, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Proponents remain optimistic that it could in time represent a sustainable solution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s spoken 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 protected habitat reflects a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable approach in the near future.

Charles Vinick, leader of the initiative, said the site will mimic the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales get from trainers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|