🔗 Share this article

Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute little “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a disagreement between a shuttered park, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their future often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been closely studied by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the federal government prevented the export of the belugas to China, the embattled attraction near Niagara Falls where they are housed threatened to end their lives unless the authorities funds the cost of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that demand, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and group interactions suggest they are deeply intelligent creatures – something a former trainer learned first-hand.

She spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a job that entailed building relationships of the marine predators.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the details and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She formed a special affection for two female belugas with different temperaments.

“One whale chose me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Each transformed the way I understand bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her connection 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 killer whale, the orca, died. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility links to natural mortality, but which activists say reflects the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The facility did not open to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the closure. “Concrete is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and swim around with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not respond to a request for comment, but previously stated: “The whales … obtain far superior medical attention and 24/7 supervision than any individual in the Britain, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in the spring following the death of a beluga, an sick beluga the employees had to put down. She said the park believed particulars of the incident were leaked to the media and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and current and former trainers in distress. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any plans to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “immense manpower”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess supports requests for the whales to be taken immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a proposal to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the application would have meant a ongoing life in confinement and a return to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals belong in the wild, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing permit an transfer that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments indicate a wider lack of awareness of the realities of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers work to find a resolution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received regulatory clearance, has shown to be most controversial. The planned site, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a sustainable resolution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the prospect of a sanctuary reflects a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a viable approach in the near future.

Charles Vinick, director of the sanctuary project, said the location will simulate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|