🔗 Share this article

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a disagreement between a closed attraction, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated debate over their future often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the people who see them each day.

After the national authorities prevented the transfer of the belugas to China, the controversial facility near the famous falls where they are kept threatened to put them down unless the federal government covers the expense of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and group interactions indicate they are deeply intelligent animals – something Kristy Burgess discovered directly.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a job that entailed gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She developed a special affection for two female belugas with contrasting temperaments.

“Eve accepted me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Each altered the way I understand bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

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

During her three years at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, died. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility attributes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say points to the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The facility did not operate to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the closure. “Concrete is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and move about with fragments in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not reply to a request for comment, but earlier stated: “The whales … obtain far superior veterinary services and around the clock care than any human in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the park in early March following the passing of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility thought particulars of the death were shared to the news outlets and she was let go not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and other caretakers in despair. She says the facility’s threat to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any plans to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “significant personnel”, equipment and machinery.

“There’s no way in hell the staff would ever do it,” she said.

She supports calls for the whales to be taken right away from the park, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

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

“To approve the application would have meant a continued situation in enclosure and a return to public entertainment,” the minister commented. “As the public, we know that whales should be in the ocean, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in good conscience approve an transfer that would continue the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments indicate a wider incorrect perception of the facts of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

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

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers work to find a answer, proposals have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of nourishment for local populations.

A suggested refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received government approval, has proven most controversial. The planned location, which includes a large area of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a long term resolution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the possibility of a protected habitat represents a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a workable approach in the short term.

An official, head of the sanctuary project, said the site will replicate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|