It is heartbreaking’: how thirty captive white whales are being used as pawns in row over animal cruelty.
The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.
Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a tussle between a closed attraction, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.
But those most familiar with the whales say the intense debate over their destiny often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who see them each day.
After the federal government blocked the sale of the belugas to China, the controversial attraction near the famous falls where they are kept stated it would consider to put them down unless the government covers the expense of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that demand, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.
Intelligent Sea Creatures
Researchers say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and communal behavior point to they are deeply intelligent animals – something a former trainer observed directly.
She spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a role that involved earning the trust of the aquatic animals.
“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”
Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the subtleties and unique traits in their dispositions. She cultivated a special affection for two female belugas with different temperaments.
“Eve accepted me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Both transformed the way I view connection.”
Public Concerns and Facility Decline
Burgess’s interaction with the whales developed against a background of increasing societal concern to their captivity.
During her tenure at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, died. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park ascribes to natural mortality, but which activists say indicates the inadequate care in which they were maintained.
The park did not open to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand effects of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and move about with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”
The facility did not comment to a inquiry, but previously claimed: “The whales … get far higher quality health care and 24/7 attention than any individual in the UK, or other places.”
Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions
The former employee was dismissed from the park in the spring following the demise of Eos, an sick beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the facility believed details of the death were disclosed to the press and she was let go shortly thereafter.
The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left her and other caretakers in distress. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any efforts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “significant personnel”, trucks and specialized tools.
“It cannot happen in hell the staff would ever do it,” she said.
Burgess advocates for calls for the whales to be taken immediately from the park, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.
In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a bid to export the whales to an overseas location.
“To approve the application would have meant a continued life in confinement and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister stated. “As the public, we know that belugas should be in the wild, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an relocation that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have endured.”
But Burgess said the official’s statements indicate a broader lack of awareness of the realities of existence for belugas born in captivity.
“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”
Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion
As officials struggle to find a resolution, ideas have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of food for Indigenous peoples.
A proposed sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received government approval, has shown to be most controversial. The planned site, which includes extensive space of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a permanent answer for some of the whales.
But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.
Different voices say the possibility of a sanctuary represents a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a workable plan in the near future.
The project lead, leader of the initiative, said the location will replicate the mental engagement and diet the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|
