🔗 Share this article

Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a disagreement between a defunct facility, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned debate over their fate often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been closely studied by the people who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities disallowed the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are kept stated it would consider to end their lives unless the federal government covers the expense of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that request, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and communal behavior indicate they are highly cognitive creatures – something Kristy Burgess learned personally.

Burgess spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that involved building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the subtleties and quirks in their characters. She cultivated a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing temperaments.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Each altered the way I perceive connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales progressed against a context of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her tenure at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility attributes to expected lifespan, but which activists say points to the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The facility did not open to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand effects of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and swim around with pieces in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not reply to a questionnaire, but in the past asserted: “The whales … receive far higher quality medical attention and 24/7 care than any person in the Britain, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in recent months following the death of a beluga, an sick beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the park believed details of the incident were leaked to the news outlets and she was fired not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left her and staff members in despair. She says the facility’s warning to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any efforts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “immense staff”, equipment and heavy equipment.

“It’s impossible in hell the staff would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess supports calls for the whales to be transferred immediately from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official rejected a proposal to send the whales to China.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a continued situation in captivity and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official wrote. “As the public, we know that whales are meant for the ocean, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing approve an export that would continue the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments indicate a broader misunderstanding of the realities of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities attempt to find a solution, proposals have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of sustenance for local populations.

A proposed refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received government approval, has been highly debated. The prospective facility, which includes a large area of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a long term resolution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the possibility of a protected habitat indicates a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a viable solution in the short term.

Charles Vinick, head of the sanctuary project, said the site will simulate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|