Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an charming little “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.
Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a disagreement between a closed attraction, local and national governments and advocacy groups.
But those most familiar with the whales say the intense discussion over their destiny often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the people who see them each day.
After the federal government prevented the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled facility near Niagara Falls where they are held threatened to end their lives unless the government funds the upkeep of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that demand, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.
Researchers say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and communal behavior point to they are deeply intelligent mammals – something Kristy Burgess observed directly.
Burgess spent several years as a beluga trainer, a position that required building relationships of the marine predators.
“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”
The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the details and unique traits in their characters. She developed a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing personalities.
“One whale chose me. The other demanded work,” she said. “They transformed the way I view connection.”
Her interaction with the whales developed against a background of growing public opposition to their captivity.
During her three years at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the park ascribes to age-related causes, but which activists say reflects the poor conditions in which they were maintained.
The facility did not operate to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the cessation. “Concrete is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and move about with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”
The park did not respond to a questionnaire, but previously asserted: “The whales … get far superior medical attention and 24/7 supervision than any human in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”
Burgess was dismissed from the park in recent months following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the park believed particulars of the death were shared to the media and she was let go shortly thereafter.
The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and other caretakers in despair. She says the facility’s threat to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any plans to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “significant manpower”, trucks and machinery.
“It cannot happen in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.
She supports requests for the whales to be taken immediately from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.
In recent months, the nation’s government official rejected a request to export the whales to an overseas location.
“Granting the proposal would have meant a continued situation in captivity and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister stated. “As the public, we know that whales are meant for the sea, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience permit an export that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have suffered.”
But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks reveal a more general incorrect perception of the circumstances of existence for belugas raised in confinement.
“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”
As authorities attempt to find a answer, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a key source of sustenance for local populations.
A suggested protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received government approval, has shown to be highly debated. The planned site, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a permanent answer for eight of the whales.
But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.
Different voices say the idea of a refuge represents a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a feasible plan in the short term.
An official, director of the sanctuary project, said the facility will mimic the cognitive activities and diet the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|
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