🔗 Share this article

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute little “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

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

But those closest to the whales say the intense discussion over their destiny often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the Canadian government disallowed the export of the belugas to China, the struggling facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept threatened to end their lives unless the authorities covers the expense of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and group interactions suggest they are highly cognitive creatures – something Kristy Burgess observed first-hand.

She spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that entailed gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the details and quirks in their personalities. She cultivated a special affection for two female belugas with contrasting natures.

“One whale chose me. The other required effort,” she said. “They changed the way I understand connection.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales progressed against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her three years at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park links to age-related causes, but which advocates say points to the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not operate to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand effects of the shutdown. “Concrete is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and move about with fragments in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not respond to a request for comment, but previously claimed: “The whales … receive far superior health care and constant care than any person in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in early March following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to put down. She said the facility thought details of the death were leaked to the press and she was let go soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and other caretakers in distress. She says the facility’s warning to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any plans to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “considerable manpower”, trucks and machinery.

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

She advocates for requests for the whales to be taken right away from the park, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a request to transfer the whales to China.

“Granting the request would have meant a perpetual life in confinement and a return to display for amusement,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that whales are meant for the sea, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing approve an export that would continue the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements reflect a broader lack of awareness of the realities of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials attempt to find a solution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received official endorsement, has proven most controversial. The planned facility, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a sustainable solution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Others say the possibility of a refuge represents a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a viable plan in the short term.

An official, director of the sanctuary project, said the facility will mimic the mental engagement and diet the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|