Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.
A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a disagreement between a shuttered park, public officials and animal rights activists.
But those closest to the whales say the heated discussion over their destiny often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who work with them regularly.
After the federal government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept warned to euthanize them unless the authorities covers the expense of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious situation.
Scientists say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and social skills point to they are remarkably smart animals – something a former trainer observed first-hand.
She spent several years as a whale caretaker, a position that involved gaining confidence of the sea creatures.
“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”
Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the details and unique traits in their personalities. She formed a special affection for a pair of whales with contrasting natures.
“Eve selected me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Both altered the way I understand bonding.”
Burgess’s interaction with the whales evolved against a context of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.
During her three years at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a toll which the park attributes to expected lifespan, but which activists say points to the inadequate care in which they were kept.
The park did not operate to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and swim around with fragments in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”
The facility did not reply to a inquiry, but in the past claimed: “The whales … get far higher quality medical attention and around the clock attention than any person in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”
The former employee was terminated from the park in early March following the demise of Eos, an sick beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park suspected information of the incident were leaked to the news outlets and she was let go soon after.
The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and other caretakers in despair. She says the facility’s threat to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any plans to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “significant manpower”, trucks and specialized tools.
“It cannot happen in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.
She supports demands for the whales to be transferred right away from the park, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.
In late September, Canada’s government official rejected a bid to transfer the whales to China.
“To approve the request would have meant a ongoing existence in enclosure and a return to display for amusement,” the minister commented. “As Canadians, we know that whales should be in the ocean, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience permit an transfer that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have experienced.”
But Burgess said the minister’s remarks reflect a broader incorrect perception of the circumstances of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.
“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”
As officials work to find a resolution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of food for local populations.
A proposed protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received government approval, has been highly debated. The future location, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain positive that it could in time represent a permanent resolution for eight of the whales.
But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.
Different voices say the idea of a protected habitat indicates a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible solution in the short term.
An official, director of the plan, said the site will mimic the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales get from trainers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|
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