🔗 Share this article

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a worm. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a tussle between a closed attraction, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated discussion over their destiny often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the federal government disallowed the export of the belugas to China, the embattled attraction near the famous falls where they are housed stated it would consider to end their lives unless the government pays for the upkeep of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and social skills indicate they are highly cognitive mammals – something one caretaker learned directly.

Burgess spent several years as a whale caretaker, a job that required earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so amazed by the details and quirks in their dispositions. She cultivated a particular love for two female belugas with contrasting temperaments.

“Eve selected me. The other required effort,” she said. “Both changed the way I understand bonding.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s relationship with the whales evolved against a context of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her time at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility ascribes to natural mortality, but which advocates say reflects the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The facility did not open to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she observed directly effects of the cessation. “Concrete is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and swim around with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not reply to a inquiry, but in the past asserted: “The whales … obtain far higher quality veterinary services and constant supervision than any individual in the UK, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in early March following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the park thought information of the incident were disclosed to the news outlets and she was released shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in anguish. She says the park’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any efforts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “considerable staff”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess backs demands for the whales to be transferred right away from the park, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a proposal to transfer the whales to China.

“To approve the request would have meant a ongoing existence in enclosure and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister wrote. “As the public, we know that belugas should be in the wild, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing approve an transfer that would continue the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments reveal a broader misunderstanding of the realities of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials attempt to find a solution, proposals 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 Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A planned sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received government approval, has proven most controversial. The future site, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a permanent solution for some of the whales.

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

Different voices say the prospect of a protected habitat indicates a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable plan in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, director of the plan, said the facility will mimic the mental engagement and diet the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|