🔗 Share this article

Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a struggle between a shuttered park, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the heated controversy over their fate often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the federal government blocked the export of the belugas to China, the embattled amusement park near the famous falls where they are held warned to put them down unless the authorities covers the upkeep of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and social skills suggest they are deeply intelligent mammals – something one caretaker learned first-hand.

She spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that entailed earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She cultivated a particular love for a pair of whales with opposing personalities.

“Eve selected me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Both altered the way I view relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s connection with the whales developed against a background of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her time at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, died. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the park attributes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say reflects the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not admit visitors to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand results of the cessation. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and move about with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not reply to a inquiry, but earlier asserted: “The whales … get far better veterinary services and 24/7 care than any individual in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in early March following the death of a beluga, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the facility believed particulars of the death were shared to the news outlets and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left her and other caretakers in anguish. She says the park’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any plans to euthanize even a one beluga would require “considerable personnel”, vehicles and machinery.

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

She backs requests for the whales to be taken right away from the park, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official denied a bid to send the whales to China.

“Granting the application would have meant a ongoing existence in captivity and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official wrote. “As Canadians, we know that belugas belong in the sea, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an export that would continue the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks indicate a wider incorrect perception of the realities of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers struggle to find a solution, ideas have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of nourishment for local populations.

A suggested refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received official endorsement, has shown to be most controversial. The prospective location, which includes a large area of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain positive that it could ultimately represent a sustainable resolution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the possibility of a protected habitat represents a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible approach in the near future.

An official, director of the sanctuary project, said the site will mimic the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|