🔗 Share this article

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming small “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a tussle between a closed attraction, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated debate over their fate often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who see them each day.

After the national authorities blocked the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near the famous falls where they are housed threatened to euthanize them unless the authorities covers the cost of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, problem solving and group interactions point to they are deeply intelligent creatures – something one caretaker learned directly.

Burgess spent several years as a beluga trainer, a role that required gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the nuances and unique traits in their dispositions. She cultivated a special affection for two female belugas with different natures.

“One whale selected me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “They transformed the way I view bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her three years at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, died. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility attributes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say points to the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The facility did not admit visitors to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she observed directly consequences of the shutdown. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the pools because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and move about with fragments in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not reply to a request for comment, but earlier asserted: “The whales … get far superior veterinary services and 24/7 supervision than any human in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in the spring following the passing of Eos, an ailing beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the park suspected details of the death were shared to the press and she was let go not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and current and former trainers in despair. She says the park’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any plans to euthanize even a single beluga would require “immense personnel”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

She supports requests for the whales to be removed promptly from the facility, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official turned down a request to transfer the whales to China.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a perpetual existence in captivity and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister wrote. “As the public, we know that belugas belong in the wild, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing approve an relocation that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

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

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities attempt to find a solution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received official endorsement, has been highly debated. The future facility, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a permanent answer for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the possibility of a refuge represents a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a viable approach in the short term.

An official, head of the initiative, said the facility will simulate the cognitive activities and diet the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|