🔗 Share this article

Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute small “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a tussle between a closed attraction, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned debate over their future often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the people who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities disallowed the export of the belugas to China, the embattled facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept threatened to end their lives unless the government covers the expense of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that request, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and communal behavior point to they are highly cognitive animals – something a former trainer discovered personally.

Burgess spent several years as a beluga trainer, a role that entailed earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the subtleties and unique traits in their personalities. She cultivated a deep bond for a pair of whales with opposing temperaments.

“Eve chose me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Each transformed the way I perceive connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales developed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her time at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park links to age-related causes, but which campaigners say points to the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The facility did not open to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and swim around with chunks in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not reply to a questionnaire, but previously asserted: “The whales … receive far superior medical attention and constant attention than any human in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was fired from the park in the spring following the demise of Eos, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the park suspected particulars of the death were shared to the press and she was released shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left her and current and former trainers in distress. She says the park’s warning to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “immense personnel”, trucks and specialized tools.

“It’s impossible in hell the caretakers would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess advocates for requests for the whales to be removed right away from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In late September, the nation’s government official denied a request to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the application would have meant a continued situation in captivity and a return to public entertainment,” the official stated. “As Canadians, we know that whales are meant for the sea, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience approve an export that would continue the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reflect a more general misunderstanding of the facts of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a resolution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of food for Inuit communities.

A proposed protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received official endorsement, has shown to be highly debated. The future location, which includes a large area of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain positive that it could in time represent a sustainable solution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the possibility of a sanctuary reflects a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible approach in the coming months.

The project lead, director of the sanctuary project, said the location will simulate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|