🔗 Share this article

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable small “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a struggle between a defunct facility, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned discussion over their fate often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been carefully observed by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the federal government disallowed the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are housed warned to euthanize them unless the authorities funds the upkeep of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that demand, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and group interactions suggest they are deeply intelligent creatures – something Kristy Burgess discovered personally.

She spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a role that involved earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so surprised by the nuances and unique traits in their personalities. She formed a special affection for a pair of whales with contrasting personalities.

“Eve selected me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Each transformed the way I understand relationships.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her tenure at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility links to expected lifespan, but which activists say indicates the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The park did not operate to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand results of the shutdown. “Concrete is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and swim around with fragments in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not respond to a request for comment, but previously asserted: “The whales … obtain far higher quality medical attention and 24/7 care than any individual in the UK, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in early March following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the facility believed information of the incident were shared to the news outlets and she was released not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left her and staff members in distress. She says the facility’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “immense staff”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

Burgess advocates for demands for the whales to be removed promptly from the facility, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a bid to export the whales to China.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a ongoing existence in confinement and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister stated. “As the public, we know that belugas are meant for the sea, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience permit an relocation that would prolong the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements reflect a wider incorrect perception of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers struggle to find a solution, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of sustenance for local populations.

A suggested sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received official endorsement, has proven contentious. The planned location, which includes extensive space of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain positive that it could in time represent a permanent solution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Others say the possibility of a refuge represents a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a workable solution in the coming months.

The project lead, head of the initiative, said the location will replicate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|