The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an charming little “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.
A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a struggle between a defunct facility, public officials and animal rights activists.
But those most familiar with the whales say the heated debate over their destiny often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the people who work with them regularly.
After the Canadian government disallowed the export of the belugas to China, the embattled attraction near Niagara Falls where they are kept threatened to end their lives unless the government funds the expense of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.
Experts say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and group interactions point to they are deeply intelligent animals – something Kristy Burgess learned personally.
She spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that entailed building relationships of the sea creatures.
“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”
The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She cultivated a special affection for a pair of whales with opposing temperaments.
“One whale chose me. The other required effort,” she said. “They changed the way I view relationships.”
Burgess’s interaction with the whales progressed against a context of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.
During her three years at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the park ascribes 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 the former trainer says she observed directly effects of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and move about with chunks in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”
The park did not comment to a request for comment, but in the past asserted: “The whales … obtain far better veterinary services and around the clock care than any individual in the Britain, or anywhere else.”
The former employee was dismissed from the park in recent months following the death of a beluga, an sick beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the facility thought details of the incident were disclosed to the news outlets and she was let go shortly thereafter.
The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left her and current and former trainers in despair. She says the facility’s warning to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any plans to euthanize even a one beluga would require “significant staff”, vehicles and machinery.
“There’s no way in hell the staff would ever do it,” she said.
She backs demands for the whales to be removed right away from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.
In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a request to export the whales to China.
“Allowing the proposal would have meant a perpetual situation in enclosure and a return to display for amusement,” the minister commented. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals 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 experienced.”
But the former trainer said the official’s comments reflect a broader misunderstanding of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.
“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”
As authorities struggle to find a answer, ideas have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of food for Inuit communities.
A suggested sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received government approval, has shown to be most controversial. The prospective site, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain positive that it could ultimately represent a sustainable answer for a number of the whales.
But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.
Some experts say the prospect of a protected habitat reflects a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a feasible solution in the coming months.
An official, head of the initiative, said the location will mimic the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|
Rashid Al-Mansoori is a tech journalist with over a decade of experience covering innovations and digital transformations in the Middle East.
