🔗 Share this article

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a struggle between a shuttered park, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned controversy over their fate often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the federal government blocked the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled facility near the famous falls where they are kept stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the government pays for the cost of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, problem solving and social skills point to they are highly cognitive mammals – something one caretaker discovered directly.

She spent several years as a beluga trainer, a job that involved gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Developing 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. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She formed a special affection for a pair of whales with different personalities.

“Eve chose me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Each transformed the way I view relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales evolved against a background of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her three years at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, died. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a toll which the park links to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say reflects the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The facility did not admit visitors to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly results of the closure. “Concrete is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and swim around with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not comment to a inquiry, but previously claimed: “The whales … receive far superior health care and 24/7 care than any human in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in the spring following the passing of Eos, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the facility thought particulars of the incident were shared to the media and she was let go not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the park’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “immense manpower”, equipment and machinery.

“There’s no way in hell the staff would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess supports calls for the whales to be taken promptly from the facility, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a bid to export the whales to China.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a perpetual life in confinement and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister commented. “As the public, we know that whales are meant for the wild, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an export that would prolong the situation these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reflect a wider lack of awareness of the facts of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in captivity and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt 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 natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of sustenance for local populations.

A proposed refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received regulatory clearance, has proven highly debated. The future site, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain positive that it could eventually represent a permanent resolution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the idea of a refuge represents a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible solution in the short term.

Charles Vinick, leader of the plan, said the site will mimic the mental engagement and diet the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|