🔗 Share this article

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a struggle between a closed attraction, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated controversy over their fate often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been carefully observed by the people who see them each day.

After the Canadian government blocked the sale of the belugas to China, the struggling attraction near Niagara Falls where they are held warned to end their lives unless the government pays for the expense of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and social skills suggest they are highly cognitive animals – something a former trainer learned personally.

She spent several years as a whale caretaker, a job that involved earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She developed a particular love for two female belugas with opposing personalities.

“One whale chose me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “They changed the way I view relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her time at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park attributes to expected lifespan, but which activists say reflects the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The park did not admit visitors to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she observed directly consequences of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and navigate with pieces in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not comment to a inquiry, but in the past asserted: “The whales … obtain far higher quality health care and constant supervision than any person in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the park in recent months following the demise of Eos, an sick beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility suspected particulars of the incident were shared to the press and she was fired not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left her and staff members in distress. She says the facility’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “immense manpower”, vehicles and machinery.

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

She supports calls for the whales to be transferred right away from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official turned down a proposal to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the request would have meant a ongoing life in captivity and a return to public entertainment,” the official stated. “As society, we know that marine mammals should be in the sea, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an relocation that would continue the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements reveal a more general incorrect perception of the realities of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities work to find a answer, proposals have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A proposed protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received regulatory clearance, has been most controversial. The planned facility, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a long term resolution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the idea of a protected habitat indicates a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a viable plan in the short term.

The project lead, head of the sanctuary project, said the facility will replicate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|