🔗 Share this article

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming little “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a tussle between a closed attraction, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated debate over their destiny often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been closely studied by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government disallowed the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling amusement park near the famous falls where they are kept threatened to euthanize them unless the federal government covers the cost of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that demand, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and communal behavior indicate they are deeply intelligent creatures – something Kristy Burgess observed first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a position that involved earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the nuances and unique traits in their personalities. She formed a special affection for two female belugas with different personalities.

“One whale chose me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “They changed the way I understand bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

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

During her three years at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the park links to natural mortality, but which activists say reflects the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The facility did not open to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly results of the closure. “Structural materials is breaking off from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and swim around with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not comment to a inquiry, but in the past stated: “The whales … receive far higher quality medical attention and around the clock care than any person in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in recent months following the passing of a beluga, an sick beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the facility suspected particulars of the incident were shared to the media and she was let go not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the park’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “considerable staff”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

She backs requests for the whales to be removed immediately from the park, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

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

“Allowing the request would have meant a continued situation in enclosure and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister stated. “As society, we know that whales should be in the ocean, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience approve an transfer that would prolong the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s statements reflect a wider incorrect perception of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public 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. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers struggle to find a resolution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A planned sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received official endorsement, has shown to be highly debated. The future facility, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a long term resolution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Others say the possibility of a protected habitat reflects a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a viable solution in the near future.

The project lead, head of the sanctuary project, said the facility will simulate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|