🔗 Share this article

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable little “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a disagreement between a shuttered park, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned controversy over their fate often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities prevented the transfer of the belugas to China, the embattled facility near Niagara Falls where they are held warned to end their lives unless the government covers the cost of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that request, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, problem solving and social skills suggest they are remarkably smart creatures – something one caretaker observed first-hand.

Burgess spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that required building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so astounded by the nuances and quirks in their characters. She cultivated a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing temperaments.

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

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales progressed against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, died. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the facility attributes to natural mortality, but which advocates say points to the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The park did not open to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly consequences of the cessation. “Concrete is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and navigate with fragments in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not respond to a request for comment, but previously stated: “The whales … obtain far superior veterinary services and around the clock care than any human in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in recent months following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility suspected particulars of the incident were shared to the press and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left her and other caretakers in distress. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any attempts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “considerable manpower”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

“It cannot happen in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess backs calls for the whales to be removed promptly from the park, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a proposal to send the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a perpetual existence in enclosure and a return to display for amusement,” the official wrote. “As Canadians, we know that whales belong in the sea, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing approve an relocation that would prolong the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements indicate a broader incorrect perception of the circumstances of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials struggle to find a solution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of food for local populations.

A proposed sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received official endorsement, has been highly debated. The future facility, which includes a large area of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain positive that it could eventually represent a sustainable solution for eight of the whales.

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

Others say the possibility of a protected habitat indicates a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible approach in the near future.

Charles Vinick, head of the initiative, said the facility will mimic the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|