🔗 Share this article

Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable small “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a closed attraction, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned debate over their destiny often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the federal government blocked the sale of the belugas to China, the struggling attraction near Niagara Falls where they are housed warned to put them down unless the authorities funds the upkeep of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that demand, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and group interactions suggest they are remarkably smart animals – something one caretaker observed directly.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a role that involved earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the nuances and quirks in their dispositions. She formed a particular love for two female belugas with different personalities.

“Eve selected me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Both changed the way I view bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales progressed against a background of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her tenure at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the facility ascribes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say points to the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The facility did not operate to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand results of the shutdown. “Concrete is falling apart from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and move about with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not respond to a questionnaire, but previously stated: “The whales … receive far higher quality veterinary services and 24/7 attention than any person in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in recent months following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility thought information of the incident were leaked to the news outlets and she was let go not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left her and staff members in distress. She says the park’s threat to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any attempts to put down even a single beluga would require “considerable manpower”, trucks and machinery.

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

Burgess backs calls for the whales to be transferred promptly from the facility, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official denied a request to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the request would have meant a ongoing situation in confinement and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister commented. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals belong in the wild, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience approve an export that would prolong the situation these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments reflect a more general incorrect perception of the realities of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials work to find a solution, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of food for Inuit communities.

A proposed sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which now received regulatory clearance, has been most controversial. The planned location, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Proponents remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a permanent solution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Others say the prospect of a protected habitat reflects a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible solution in the short term.

The project lead, leader of the plan, said the facility will replicate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|