🔗 Share this article

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an charming little “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a struggle between a closed attraction, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense debate over their destiny often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the people who see them each day.

After the federal government disallowed the sale of the belugas to China, the controversial facility near the famous falls where they are housed threatened to end their lives unless the authorities covers the expense of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and communal behavior indicate they are remarkably smart animals – something Kristy Burgess observed first-hand.

She spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that required earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the subtleties and unique traits in their dispositions. She formed a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing temperaments.

“Eve selected me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Each transformed the way I view bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s interaction with the whales evolved against a context of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her tenure at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park links to age-related causes, but which activists say points to the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not operate to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she observed directly effects of the closure. “Structural materials is falling apart from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and swim around with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not comment to a inquiry, but earlier stated: “The whales … get far superior medical attention and 24/7 attention than any person in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in the spring following the passing of a beluga, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the facility suspected details of the incident were disclosed to the media and she was fired soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the park’s warning to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any attempts to put down even a individual beluga would require “significant personnel”, vehicles and machinery.

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

Burgess supports requests for the whales to be taken right away from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

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

“Granting the request would have meant a continued life in captivity and a return to display for amusement,” the official stated. “As the public, we know that whales are meant for the ocean, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in good conscience permit an export that would continue the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments reflect a more general incorrect perception of the facts of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers work to find a resolution, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of sustenance for local populations.

A proposed protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which now received regulatory clearance, has been most controversial. The future location, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain positive that it could ultimately represent a long term resolution for some 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’ fate.

Different voices say the possibility of a protected habitat represents a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible solution in the near future.

Charles Vinick, leader of the initiative, said the site will mimic the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales get from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|