🔗 Share this article

Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming little “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a tussle between a closed attraction, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned debate over their fate often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling attraction near Niagara Falls where they are held threatened to end their lives unless the authorities funds the expense of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and social skills point to they are remarkably smart mammals – something a former trainer discovered directly.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a job that entailed earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. 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 amazed by the details and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She formed a deep bond for two female belugas with opposing temperaments.

“Eve accepted me. The other demanded work,” she said. “They altered the way I view relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s connection with the whales developed against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her three years at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the park links to expected lifespan, but which activists say indicates the inadequate care in which they were housed.

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 breaking off from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and move about with fragments in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but previously stated: “The whales … receive far better veterinary services and constant care than any human in the UK, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in the spring following the demise of Eos, an sick beluga the employees had to put down. She said the facility thought details of the death were leaked to the news outlets and she was fired not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and other caretakers in distress. She says the facility’s warning to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any attempts to put down even a single beluga would require “considerable staff”, equipment and machinery.

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

She supports requests for the whales to be removed promptly from the park, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

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

“Granting the proposal would have meant a ongoing life in captivity and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official stated. “As the public, we know that whales are meant for the ocean, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience permit an relocation that would continue the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements reflect a broader misunderstanding of the facts of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials attempt to find a resolution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of sustenance for local populations.

A suggested sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received government approval, has been most controversial. The prospective facility, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Proponents remain positive that it could ultimately represent a permanent answer for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the idea of a sanctuary represents a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a feasible solution in the near future.

An official, director of the plan, said the facility will replicate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|