The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable small “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.
Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a tussle between a closed attraction, government authorities and welfare campaigners.
But those most familiar with the whales say the heated controversy over their destiny often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the people who see them each day.
After the Canadian government blocked the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial amusement park near the famous falls where they are kept threatened to end their lives unless the authorities covers the upkeep of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.
Experts say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and communal behavior point to they are deeply intelligent animals – something one caretaker learned personally.
She spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a role that entailed earning the trust of the sea creatures.
“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”
Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the subtleties and unique traits in their characters. She formed a particular love for a pair of whales with contrasting personalities.
“One whale accepted me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “They transformed the way I understand relationships.”
Burgess’s connection with the whales evolved against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their confinement.
During her three years at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park links to natural mortality, but which campaigners say reflects the poor conditions in which they were maintained.
The park did not admit visitors to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly results of the cessation. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the pools because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and swim around with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”
The park did not comment to a questionnaire, but previously asserted: “The whales … obtain far higher quality veterinary services and around the clock attention than any person in the Britain, or anywhere else.”
Burgess was terminated from the park in the spring following the death of Eos, an sick beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the park believed particulars of the incident were disclosed to the news outlets and she was let go soon after.
The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left her and staff members in anguish. She says the facility’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any attempts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “considerable staff”, trucks and heavy equipment.
“It cannot happen in hell the caretakers would ever do it,” she said.
Burgess backs demands for the whales to be transferred promptly from the facility, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.
In late September, Canada’s government official rejected a request to export the whales to an overseas location.
“To approve the request would have meant a continued life in confinement and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As Canadians, we know that whales should be in the sea, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an transfer that would prolong the situation these belugas have endured.”
But the former trainer said the minister’s comments indicate a more general incorrect perception of the facts of existence for belugas raised in confinement.
“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”
As decision makers work to find a answer, suggestions have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of food for Inuit communities.
A suggested sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which has received government approval, has shown to be highly debated. The prospective facility, which includes a large area of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a sustainable answer for a number of the whales.
But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ fate.
Some experts say the prospect of a refuge represents a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable plan in the coming months.
The project lead, head of the plan, said the location will replicate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|
Elena Hartwell is a multidisciplinary artist and educator passionate about fostering creative communities in London.