🔗 Share this article

Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute small “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a struggle between a shuttered park, public officials and welfare campaigners.

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

After the Canadian government disallowed the export of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are held stated it would consider to put them down unless the federal government funds the upkeep of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and social skills suggest they are highly cognitive mammals – something one caretaker observed directly.

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

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so surprised by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She cultivated a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with different temperaments.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Both transformed the way I perceive bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s relationship with the whales developed against a context of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her time at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, succumbed. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the park links to expected lifespan, 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 saw with her own eyes effects of the shutdown. “Structural materials is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and navigate with fragments in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not comment to a inquiry, but previously asserted: “The whales … get far higher quality medical attention and around the clock care than any human in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in the spring following the demise of Eos, an unwell beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the park thought particulars of the incident were shared to the press and she was let go not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left her and other caretakers in despair. She says the facility’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any attempts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “considerable staff”, trucks and machinery.

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

She backs demands for the whales to be transferred immediately from the park, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a bid to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the application would have meant a continued situation in captivity and a return to public entertainment,” the minister commented. “As the public, we know that marine mammals should be in the sea, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience permit an transfer that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments indicate a wider incorrect perception of the circumstances of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As authorities struggle to find a solution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for local populations.

A proposed refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which has received regulatory clearance, has proven contentious. The future facility, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Proponents remain positive that it could eventually represent a sustainable 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 “only an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Others say the possibility of a protected habitat represents a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable plan in the short term.

Charles Vinick, leader of the initiative, said the facility will mimic the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|