🔗 Share this article

Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable little “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a tussle between a closed attraction, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their future often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the federal government disallowed the sale of the belugas to China, the embattled attraction near Niagara Falls where they are kept stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the federal government covers the cost of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that request, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and communal behavior suggest they are highly cognitive mammals – something Kristy Burgess learned first-hand.

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

“Establishing those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She developed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with different temperaments.

“Eve accepted me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “They changed the way I perceive connection.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

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

During her three years at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, died. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility links to natural mortality, but which activists say indicates the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The facility did not admit visitors to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand results of the cessation. “Structural materials is falling apart from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and swim around with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not respond to a request for comment, but earlier asserted: “The whales … obtain far better medical attention and constant care than any human in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in recent months following the death of a beluga, an unwell beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the park thought details of the incident were shared to the press and she was released soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left her and other caretakers in distress. She says the facility’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any plans to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “considerable personnel”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

She advocates for requests for the whales to be taken promptly from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In late September, the nation’s government official denied a bid to export the whales to China.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a ongoing existence in enclosure and a return to public entertainment,” the official stated. “As the public, we know that whales belong in the ocean, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing approve an transfer that would prolong the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks indicate a broader misunderstanding of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a resolution, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of sustenance for local populations.

A proposed refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which now received government approval, has been contentious. The prospective location, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Advocates remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a permanent answer for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the possibility of a refuge represents a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible approach in the coming months.

The project lead, head of the plan, said the location will mimic the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|