🔗 Share this article

Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

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

But those closest to the whales say the heated discussion over their destiny often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the federal government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are housed stated it would consider to end their lives unless the authorities covers the cost of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that demand, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and group interactions point to they are highly cognitive mammals – something Kristy Burgess learned directly.

She spent three years as a beluga trainer, a job that required building relationships of the aquatic animals.

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

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the nuances and unique traits in their dispositions. She developed a special affection for a pair of whales with different natures.

“Eve chose me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Each altered the way I perceive connection.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales developed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her tenure at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the facility ascribes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say points to the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The facility did not operate to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is falling apart from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and move about with pieces in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not reply to a request for comment, but previously claimed: “The whales … receive far superior veterinary services and constant attention than any individual in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in the spring following the death of a beluga, an ailing beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the park thought details of the incident were leaked to the media and she was released shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left her and other caretakers in anguish. She says the park’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any plans to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “immense manpower”, trucks and machinery.

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

Burgess backs calls for the whales to be removed immediately from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a request to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a continued situation in enclosure and a return to public entertainment,” the official commented. “As Canadians, we know that whales should be in the wild, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience approve an export that would prolong the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reflect a more general incorrect perception of the realities of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers struggle to find a solution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of sustenance for local populations.

A suggested protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received official endorsement, has been highly debated. The future location, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a permanent answer for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the prospect of a sanctuary reflects a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable plan in the near future.

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