🔗 Share this article

Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable small “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a disagreement between a closed attraction, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned controversy over their destiny often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the people who interact with them daily.

After the federal government blocked the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled facility near Niagara Falls where they are held warned to euthanize them unless the government funds the upkeep of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that demand, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and social skills suggest they are deeply intelligent animals – something Kristy Burgess observed personally.

Burgess spent several years as a whale caretaker, a position that required gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so amazed by the details and quirks in their characters. She cultivated a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting temperaments.

“One whale chose me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Both altered the way I understand relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales evolved against a background of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her three years at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility links to expected lifespan, but which advocates say reflects the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The park did not admit visitors to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and move about with fragments in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not respond to a inquiry, but in the past claimed: “The whales … receive far superior health care and around the clock care than any human in the UK, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in early March following the demise of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to put down. She said the park thought details of the death were disclosed to the press and she was fired not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and staff members in despair. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any plans to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “significant personnel”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

“There’s no way in hell the caretakers would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess backs requests for the whales to be transferred immediately from the park, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

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

“To approve the proposal would have meant a continued existence in captivity and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister commented. “As Canadians, we know that whales belong in the sea, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in good conscience authorize an export that would prolong the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks reflect a more general misunderstanding of the realities of life for belugas raised in confinement.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers attempt to find a resolution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which now received official endorsement, has been most controversial. The future location, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain hopeful that it could in time represent a long term solution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the prospect of a protected habitat reflects a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a workable approach in the near future.

Charles Vinick, head of the plan, said the location will mimic the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|