🔗 Share this article

Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable little “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a disagreement between a closed attraction, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned debate over their destiny often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities prevented the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept threatened to end their lives unless the government funds the cost of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and social skills indicate they are highly cognitive animals – something Kristy Burgess observed directly.

Burgess spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a role that entailed earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the details and quirks in their dispositions. She cultivated a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing natures.

“One whale chose me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Both altered the way I view relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales evolved 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, the orca, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility attributes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say indicates the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The facility did not open to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the cessation. “Structural materials is breaking off from the pools because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and move about with chunks in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not comment to a questionnaire, but previously stated: “The whales … receive far superior veterinary services and around the clock supervision than any individual in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in early March following the passing of a beluga, an sick beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the park suspected particulars of the incident were shared to the media and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left her and other caretakers in distress. She says the park’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any efforts to put down even a single beluga would require “considerable personnel”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

She backs calls for the whales to be taken immediately from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In late September, Canada’s government official denied a bid to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a ongoing life in captivity and a return to public entertainment,” the official wrote. “As the public, we know that marine mammals should be in the wild, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience permit an export that would continue the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks reveal a wider incorrect perception of the facts of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers struggle to find a solution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received government approval, has proven highly debated. The future location, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain optimistic that it could in time represent a permanent solution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the idea of a refuge indicates a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible plan in the near future.

The project lead, head of the initiative, said the location will simulate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|