It is deeply saddening’: how thirty captive white whales are being used as bargaining chips in row over animal cruelty.
The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable little “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.
Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a disagreement between a defunct facility, public officials and advocacy groups.
But those closest to the whales say the heated controversy over their destiny often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who work with them regularly.
After the national authorities prevented the sale of the belugas to China, the struggling attraction near the famous falls where they are held warned to put them down unless the authorities pays for the cost of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.
Intelligent Marine Mammals
Scientists say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and communal behavior point to they are deeply intelligent animals – something one caretaker discovered personally.
She spent three years 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 love. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”
The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the details and quirks in their personalities. She formed a particular love for a pair of whales with opposing personalities.
“Eve selected me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Both transformed the way I perceive connection.”
Growing Opposition and Facility Decline
Burgess’s relationship with the whales evolved against a context of growing public opposition to their captivity.
During her time at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility attributes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say indicates the poor conditions in which they were housed.
The park did not operate to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand effects of the shutdown. “Structural materials is breaking off from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and navigate with chunks in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”
The park did not reply to a questionnaire, but previously asserted: “The whales … obtain far better veterinary services and around the clock care than any human in the United Kingdom, or other places.”
Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions
The former employee was dismissed from the park in early March following the demise of a beluga, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park suspected details of the incident were leaked to the news outlets and she was let go not long after.
The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and other caretakers in despair. She says the facility’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any plans to euthanize even a single beluga would require “immense personnel”, trucks and specialized tools.
“There’s no way in hell the caretakers would ever do it,” she said.
Burgess advocates for calls for the whales to be removed promptly from the park, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.
In the autumn, the nation’s government official turned down a bid to send the whales to an overseas location.
“Granting the proposal would have meant a perpetual life in confinement and a return to public entertainment,” the official wrote. “As society, we know that marine mammals should be in the sea, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience permit an relocation that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have suffered.”
But the former trainer said the minister’s comments reflect a broader incorrect perception of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.
“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”
Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate
As authorities struggle to find a answer, ideas have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.
A planned sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which now received government approval, has been most controversial. The future location, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain positive that it could eventually represent a sustainable solution for a number of the whales.
But, Burgess says, among staff she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.
Some experts say the idea of a protected habitat represents a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a workable solution in the near future.
The project lead, director of the sanctuary project, said the site will simulate the mental engagement and diet the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|
