🔗 Share this article

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a disagreement between a closed attraction, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the intense controversy over their future often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government blocked the export of the belugas to China, the embattled amusement park near the famous falls where they are housed stated it would consider to put them down unless the federal government funds the upkeep of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that demand, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and group interactions indicate they are remarkably smart animals – something a former trainer learned personally.

She spent several years as a whale caretaker, a role that required gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the subtleties and unique traits in their personalities. She formed a special affection for a pair of whales with contrasting natures.

“Eve chose me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Both transformed the way I perceive connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s relationship with the whales evolved against a background of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her three years at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, died. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park ascribes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say reflects the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The facility did not operate to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand effects of the shutdown. “Concrete is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and swim around with pieces in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not comment to a request for comment, but earlier asserted: “The whales … receive far better health care and 24/7 supervision than any human in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future 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 euthanize. She said the facility suspected details of the incident were shared to the media and she was released shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and other caretakers in anguish. She says the facility’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any plans to put down even a single beluga would require “immense manpower”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess backs requests for the whales to be taken promptly from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In late September, the nation’s government official rejected a proposal to send the whales to China.

“Granting the application would have meant a ongoing existence in enclosure and a return to public entertainment,” the official wrote. “As Canadians, we know that whales are meant for the wild, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience authorize an export that would prolong the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks reflect a more general lack of awareness of the circumstances of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers attempt to find a answer, proposals have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of food for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received regulatory clearance, has proven contentious. The prospective facility, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain positive that it could eventually represent a permanent answer for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the idea of a protected habitat reflects a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a viable solution in the coming months.

The project lead, head of the sanctuary project, said the location will simulate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|