🔗 Share this article

Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a struggle between a shuttered park, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned controversy over their future often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the federal government prevented the sale of the belugas to China, the embattled facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the authorities funds the cost of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that request, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and group interactions indicate they are deeply intelligent animals – something Kristy Burgess discovered personally.

She spent three years as a whale caretaker, a position that involved earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity 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 trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She formed a special affection for a pair of whales with opposing temperaments.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “They changed the way I perceive connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s relationship with the whales progressed against a background of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her tenure at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the park links to natural mortality, but which campaigners say reflects the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The facility did not open to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand effects of the shutdown. “Concrete is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and move about with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not reply to a request for comment, but earlier asserted: “The whales … get far higher quality medical attention and 24/7 care than any person in the Britain, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in early March following the passing of a beluga, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the facility believed particulars of the death were leaked to the press and she was let go not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left her and other caretakers in distress. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any attempts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “significant staff”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

She advocates for demands for the whales to be taken promptly from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, the nation’s government official turned down a bid to transfer the whales to China.

“Allowing the application would have meant a perpetual existence in captivity and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official wrote. “As Canadians, we know that whales are meant for the ocean, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an relocation that would continue the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements reveal a broader lack of awareness of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a solution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of nourishment for local populations.

A suggested refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which now received official endorsement, has proven highly debated. The future site, which includes extensive space of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a sustainable answer for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the idea of a protected habitat indicates a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible plan in the short term.

The project lead, head of the initiative, said the location will mimic the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|