🔗 Share this article

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming little “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a struggle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense debate over their destiny often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government disallowed the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling amusement park near the famous falls where they are housed warned to end their lives unless the federal government covers the expense of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and communal behavior indicate they are deeply intelligent animals – something Kristy Burgess learned first-hand.

Burgess spent three years as a beluga trainer, a position that entailed earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the details and unique traits in their personalities. She formed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting personalities.

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

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s interaction with the whales developed against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her three years at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the facility ascribes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say points to the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The facility did not operate to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is falling apart from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and move about with fragments in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not comment to a request for comment, but previously claimed: “The whales … obtain far better veterinary services and constant supervision than any human in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in the spring following the death of a beluga, an sick beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the park believed particulars of the incident were leaked to the press and she was released not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left her and other caretakers in anguish. She says the park’s warning to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any attempts to put down even a one beluga would require “immense manpower”, equipment and machinery.

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

Burgess supports calls for the whales to be transferred immediately from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In recent months, Canada’s government official turned down a request to export the whales to China.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a continued life in confinement and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister wrote. “As Canadians, we know that belugas belong in the ocean, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience approve an relocation that would continue the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments reveal a more general lack of awareness of the realities of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials attempt to find a answer, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A suggested sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received government approval, has proven most controversial. The prospective facility, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Advocates remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a permanent answer for a number of the whales.

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

Some experts say the idea of a sanctuary reflects a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a workable approach in the coming months.

An official, head of the plan, said the facility will replicate the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|