🔗 Share this article

Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute little “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the intense controversy over their fate often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the people who see them each day.

After the federal government blocked the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are kept threatened to euthanize them unless the federal government funds the cost of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and social skills suggest they are highly cognitive mammals – something Kristy Burgess learned personally.

Burgess spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a position that required gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Establishing those connections over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the details and unique traits in their characters. She cultivated a particular love for a pair of whales with opposing personalities.

“One whale selected me. The other required effort,” she said. “Each altered the way I view bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her time at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the park links to age-related causes, but which campaigners say reflects the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The park did not open to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly consequences of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and swim around with fragments in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not reply to a request for comment, but in the past asserted: “The whales … receive far superior veterinary services and around the clock care than any individual in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in early March following the passing of Eos, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the facility believed information of the death were shared to the press and she was fired not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and staff members in despair. She says the facility’s threat to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any plans to euthanize even a single beluga would require “significant personnel”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

She advocates for demands for the whales to be removed right away from the park, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a proposal to export the whales to China.

“Granting the request would have meant a ongoing life in enclosure and a return to public entertainment,” the minister commented. “As the public, we know that marine mammals are meant for the ocean, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an export that would prolong the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reveal a broader lack of awareness of the facts of life for belugas born in captivity.

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

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers attempt to find a answer, proposals have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A planned protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received official endorsement, has been highly debated. The prospective site, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain positive that it could eventually represent a long term resolution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the prospect of a refuge reflects a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a workable plan in the short term.

Charles Vinick, head of the sanctuary project, said the location will simulate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales get from trainers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|