🔗 Share this article

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a tussle between a closed attraction, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned discussion over their future often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the humans who see them each day.

After the national authorities disallowed the export of the belugas to China, the embattled attraction near Niagara Falls where they are held stated it would consider to put them down unless the authorities funds the upkeep of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that demand, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and group interactions indicate they are deeply intelligent animals – something one caretaker learned personally.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a role that entailed building relationships of the sea creatures.

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

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the details and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She formed a particular love for a pair of whales with different personalities.

“Eve chose me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “They transformed the way I understand connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales developed against a background of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her time at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a toll which the park links to age-related causes, but which campaigners say indicates the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The facility did not admit visitors to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the shutdown. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and navigate with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not respond to a inquiry, but in the past asserted: “The whales … receive far better health care and constant supervision than any person in the Britain, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in early March following the passing of Eos, an sick beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the facility believed information of the death were shared to the press and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left her and other caretakers in despair. She says the facility’s threat to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any efforts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “immense staff”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

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

In recent months, Canada’s government official rejected a request to export the whales to China.

“Allowing the application would have meant a continued life in enclosure and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official wrote. “As society, we know that whales should be in the sea, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an transfer that would prolong the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks reflect a broader lack of awareness of the realities of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society 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 realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials attempt to find a answer, proposals have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of food for local populations.

A suggested sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received regulatory clearance, has proven most controversial. The planned location, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain hopeful that it could in time represent a sustainable answer for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the possibility of a sanctuary represents a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a feasible approach in the coming months.

The project lead, leader of the initiative, said the facility will replicate the mental engagement and diet the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|